BAGHDAD — In the sun-soaked courtyard of Baghdad’s St Joseph Cathedral, members of Iraq’s dwindling Christian community waited in solemn silence for a man they’d never dreamt they would see.
Some of the women, who appeared to outnumber the men, wore dainty black or white veils, a sign of respect for the leader of their faith, 84-year-old Pope Francis.
They sat on wooden benches decorated with bright flowers and fingered rosaries or small prayer books as they counted down the minutes for the pontiff to arrive.
Then, suddenly, the quiet was shattered by shrill ululations as hundreds of hands spontaneously flew toward the sky.
The white-clad pope had just stepped into the …
Keep on reading: Incense and ululations: Pope Francis meets his Iraqi flock