Pope Francis (L) speaks with Iraq's President Barham Salih (R) before departing for Rome at Baghdad International Airport on Monday. Photo courtesy of Iraqi president's press office
Pope Francis arrives at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Arbil, Iraq on Sunday, the capital of the northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous region. Photo courtesy of Iraqi president's press office
Francis (C) is welcomed by President Nechirvan Barzani (R) of the autonomous Kurdistan region on his arrival at Arbil airport in Iraq on Sunday. The pope visited areas hit hard by the Islamic State. Photo courtesy of Office of the President of Kurdistan/UPI
Iraqis including Christians and Muslims wait for the arrival of Pope Francis to perform a prayer for the victims of the war at Hosh al-Bieaa Church Square in Mosul, Iraq. Photo by Murtaja Lateef/UPI
Pope Francis speaks at Hosh al-Bieaa Church Square in Mosul. Photo by Murtaja Lateef/UPI
Francis speaks at the Syriac Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception (al-Tahira-l-Kubra), in the predominantly Christian town of Qaraqosh. Photo courtesy of Office of the Iraqi President/UPI
Francis speaks at the Syriac Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception. Photo courtesy of Office of the Iraqi President/UPI
Members of the Iraqi security forces along with security personnel surround the car transporting Francis as it arrives at the square near the Syriac Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception (al-Tahira-l-Kubra), near Mosul. Photo courtesy of Office of the Iraqi President/UPI
Iraqis including Christians and Muslims wait for the arrival of Pope Francis to perform a prayer in Mosul. Photo by Murtaja Lateef/UPI
Iraqi security forces take up positions as Pope Francis prays for the victims of the war in Mosul. Photo by Murtaja Lateef/UPI
Francis celebrates mass at Saint Joseph Cathedral in Baghdad on Saturday. Photo by Murtaja Lateef/UPI
Pope Francis celebrates mass at Saint Joseph Cathedral. Photo by Murtaja Lateef/UPI
Pope Francis celebrates mass at Saint Joseph Cathedral. Photo by Murtaja Lateef/UPI
Pope Francis (C) greets delegates during an interreligious meeting at the ruins of Ur near Nasiriyah, Iraq. Ur is the birthplace of the prophet Abraham. Photo by Murtaja Lateef/UPI
Francis leaves after his meeting with Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Photo courtesy of the Office of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani/UPI
Pope Francis (R) meets with Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, in Najaf, Iraq on Saturday. Photo courtesy of the Office of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani/UPI
"From this place, where faith was born, from the land of our father Abraham, let us affirm that God is merciful and that the greatest blasphemy is to profane his name by hating our brothers and sisters," Francis said during the meeting in Ur. "Hostility, extremism and violence are not born of a religious heart: they are betrayals of religion." Photo by Murtaja Lateef/UPI
Francis speaks during an interfaith service with many of Iraq's religious minorities in attendance, at the House of Abraham in the ancient city of Ur. Photo courtesy of Office of the Iraqi President/UPI
Pope Francis (L) told attendees at the meeting, "The blessed place brings us back to our origins, to the sources of God's work, to the birth of our religions." Photo by Murtaja Lateef/UPI
An image of Francis is displayed on a screen before the start of an interreligious meeting at the ruins of Ur. Photo by Murtaja Lateef/UPI
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi (R) receives Francis upon his arrival in the capital Baghdad on Friday. Photo courtesy of Office of the Iraqi President/UPI
Francis arrives at Baghdad International Airport, where a welcoming ceremony was held to start his historic tour. Photo by Humam Mohamed/UPI
Francis stands in front of a huge billboard bearing portraits of Pope Francis and Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani (R) in central Baghdad. Photo courtesy of Office of the Iraqi President/UPI
Kadhemi (R) welcomes Pope Francis upon his arrival at Baghdad Airport. Photo courtesy of Office of the Iraqi President/UPI
A welcoming ceremony was held for the pope at the airport to start his historic tour in Iraq. Photo by Humam Mohamed/UPI
Francis made this historic trip to honor the Iraqi Christian minority, most of whom are Catholic. Photo courtesy of Office of the Iraqi President/UPI
Francis said he felt compelled to make the risky visit because the people of Iraq "have suffered so much." Photo courtesy of Office of the Iraqi President/UPI
Iraqi President Barham Saleh (R) greets Francis at Baghdad's presidential palace. Photo by Humam Mohamed/UPI
"Only if we learn to look beyond our differences and see each other as members of the same human family will we be able to begin a process of rebuilding and leave future generations a better, more just and humane world," Francis said in his welcoming address at the palace. Photo by Humam Mohamed/UPI
March 8 (UPI) -- Pope Francis returned to the Vatican on Monday after completing his historic visit to Iraq, where he traveled with the intention of promoting hope, unity and peace in the war-scarred Middle Eastern nation.
The pontiff was sent off in Baghdad by Iraqi President Barham Salih after a brief private meeting in an airport lounge. Salih accompanied Francis on a red carpet to the steps of the plane, where Francis met with Iraqi and Vatican delegations before boarding.
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Pope Francis' arrival in Iraq on Friday marked the first-ever visit by any pontiff to the country and came after a gap in international travel for the pope, due to COVID-19. Before Iraq, his last international trip was November 2019, to Thailand and Japan.
During a news conference on the plane ride home, Francis told The New York Times he'd been reluctant to visit Iraq amid the pandemic.
"I thought about it a lot, I prayed a lot over this," he said.
After his arrival in Rome, Francis visited the Basilica of St. Mary Major and placed a bouquet of flowers on the altar of the Virgin Mary's image. He'd asked her for protection before he went to Iraq.
Francis then returned to his Vatican residence at the Casa Santa Marta for rest, papal officials said.
The pope first visited Baghdad before stops in Najaf, Ur, Erbil, Mosul and Qaraqosh, including a visit to the birthplace of Abraham on Saturday and areas ravaged by the Islamic State terror group on Sunday.
Throughout the journey, he repeated calls for unity, hope and peace.
"Pope Francis' visit was a historic and welcome first for the country," U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement Monday. "It sent an important message, as Pope Francis said himself, that 'fraternity is more durable than fratricide, that hope is more powerful than death, that peace more powerful than war.'"
"To see Pope Francis visit ancient religious sites, including the biblical birthplace of Abraham, spend time with Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani in Najaf, and offer prayers in Mosul -- a city that only a few years ago endured the depravity and intolerance of a group like ISIS -- is a symbol of hope for the entire world."
Francis made the trip amid security concerns, as Iraq is considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world.