A member of the Iraqi special forces stands guard outside the Syriac Catholic Church of Our Lady of Deliverance, in front of a mural painting welcoming Pope Francis, in the Iraqi capital baghdad, on March 4, 2021, amid preparations for his visit. - Pope Francis begins his historic trip to war-scarred Iraq tomorrow, defying security concerns and the coronavirus pandemic to comfort one of the world's oldest and most persecuted Christian communities. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)