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Pope Francis makes landmark visit to Iraq’s top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani

Pope Francis meets Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf, Iraq, March 6, 2021.

Vatican Media.
Pope Francis meets Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf, Iraq, March 6, 2021.

The Shiite leader is believed to have played a critical role in the defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq.