Pope Francis received in a private audience President Barham Saleh of the Republic of Iraq at the Vatican on Jan. 25. 2020.

Vatican Media
Pope Francis received in a private audience President Barham Saleh of the Republic of Iraq at the Vatican on Jan. 25. 2020.

During the trip, the pope will visit the Christian communities in the Nineveh plain, which were ravaged by the Islamic State from 2014 to 2016 causing Christians to flee the region.