Rome, Feb 1 (AP) Pope Francis said Monday he is still planning to visit Iraq in March, even if most Iraqis have to watch him on television to avoid the coronavirus.

The important thing, he said, is “they will see that the pope is there in their country.” After St. John Paul II canceled a planned 2000 visit to Iraq, Francis said he has every intention of keeping his word to visit because he doesn't want to disappoint the Iraqi people a second time. Only a serious new surge in infections would put the trip in question, he said.

“I am the pastor of people who are suffering,” Francis told Catholic News Service during an audience to mark the 100th anniversary of the news agency of the U.S. bishops conference.

Francis is scheduled to visit Iraq March 5-8 in what would be the first-ever papal trip to the country. The Vatican has confirmed he intends to go, but hasn't released the itinerary yet and has said the trip ultimately depends on the health situation on the ground.

Virus cases in Iraq have been steadily dropping since peaking in late summer and are averaging around 800 new cases a day. At least 13,000 people have died among more than 618,000 confirmed cases across Iraq since February. The Vatican delegation will be vaccinated in time for the trip, but the main concern for organizers is to keep ordinary Iraqis safe, given crowds always form when the pope is out in public. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)