BAGHDAD (AP) Pope Francis arrived in Iraq on Friday to urge the countrys dwindling number of Christians to stay put and help rebuild the country after years of war and persecution, brushing aside the coronavirus pandemic and security concerns to make his first-ever papal visit.

The pope, who wore a facemask during the flight, kept it on as he descended the stairs to the tarmac and was greeted by two masked children in traditional dress. But health measures appeared lax inside the airport despite the countrys worsening coronavirus outbreak.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Iraqis were eager to welcome Francis message of peace and tolerance and described the visit as a historic meeting between the minaret and the bells. Among the highlights of the three-day visit is Francis private meeting Saturday with the countrys top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani , a revered figure in Iraq and beyond.

Francis plane touched down at Baghdads airport just before 2 p.m. local time (1100 GMT). A red carpet was rolled out on the tarmac in Baghdads international airport with Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on hand to greet him. Francis was visibly limping in a sign his sciatica, which has flared and forced him to cancel events recently, was possibly bothering him.