The whiplash of Pope Francis’s Iraq trip: A year of tight covid rules in Italy, then 72 hours of crowds March 08, 2021 Europe IFTTT NYT + NYTimes The pontiff said he was counting on God to protect Iraqis who crowded to see him during his mid-pandemic trip. Europe IFTTT NYT NYTimes The pontiff said he was counting on God to protect Iraqis who crowded to see him during his mid-pandemic trip.