In a March 2 briefing, the Vatican sought to downplay the risks of Pope Francis visiting Iraq during the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing that the March 5-8 events have been planned to maintain social distancing measures.
NCR Connections: When Pope Francis travels to Iraq March 5-8, it will be the first coverage of a papal trip Heidi Schlumpf will oversee as editor — but not the first one for Vatican correspondent Joshua McElwee.
