In 2014, at its apex, the Islamic State group (IS) put out slogans about reaching Rome. It published
doctored pictures
showing its black flag raised over the Vatican, denoting its stated aspiration to conquer one of the most important symbols and power centers of Christianity in the world.
Seven years later, Pope Francis has just
visited
Mosul, the city where former IS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi delivered his famous
sermon
declaring the rise of the "Caliphate" between Iraq and Syria. The Pope led
prayers
amid the ruins...
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