Pope Francis’s visit to Iraq on March 5-8 has had several repercussions in Iran, especially the meeting between Francis, the leader of world Catholicism, and Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of the most important Shia religious leaders.
Some, including Mohammad Masjedjamei, former Iranian ambassador to the Holy See, mentioned Pope John Paul II’s desire to visit Iraq 21 years ago and the opposition to it by then-leader Saddam Hussein.
For many Iranians, the most important part of the trip was the Pontiff’s visit to al-Sistani, which is of great value for peace in the region and the safety of Iraqi Christians.
At present, Sistani is the world’s most important Shia leader, and the city of Najaf, where he lives, has been for centuries the home of Shia leaders.
After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran’s political clergy sought to change this situation, by trying to turn Qom – the main seat of Iran’s Shia clergy located in central Iran – into the centre of world Shiism.