Baghdad, March 6 (AFP/APP):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 outer courtyard — and he too seemed just as happy to be close to his faithful. The other gatherings of his Iraq visit — in Baghdad on Friday and at the ancient site of Ur earlier on Saturday — were much more orchestrated, and Francis was physically further from worshippers. Young attendees were rare in Baghdad amid the rows upon rows of greying hair and eyes ringed by wrinkles — but they were visibly excited. Many pulled out their phones to take selfies, tugging down their masks … Continue reading Incense and ululations: Pope meets his Iraqi flock