Francis has spent years trying to forge improved relations with Muslims. He signed a historic document on human fraternity in 2019 with a prominent Sunni leader, Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, the seat of Sunni learning in Cairo. Brother Amir Jaje, an Iraqi Dominican who is an expert on Shiite relations, said he hoped Sistani would also sign onto the fraternity document, which calls for Christians and Muslims to work together for peace. Christian communities that date to the time of Christ were run over by IS militants, and thousands of people were forced to flee in search of safety and a better life. The Vatican has called for Iraqi authorities and the international community to provide the security, economic and social conditions to allow them to return, arguing that Christians are a small but crucial part of Iraqi society.

Source: Daily Sun January 28, 2021 13:18 UTC