Chair gifted by Pope Francis to Dhi Qar museum never delivered, source says

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A chair used by Pope Francis during an interfaith prayer at the ancient city of Ur has not reached the archaeology museum in Dhi Qar province more than five years after Iraqi authorities decided to present it as a gift, according to a local source. The Council of Ministers had approved transferring the chair to the provincial museum as a memento of the pope's 2021 visit, and the government of then-Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi had presented the pontiff with several gifts during the trip. The source said the chair, used by Francis at the Abrahamic prayer event at Ur, never arrived in Dhi Qar. It also alleged that some political parties have been exercising control over the item and suggested it may have been sold abroad, claiming its value could reach several million dollars. No official comment on the allegations was reported. Pope Francis visited Iraq from March 5 to 8, 2021, in a four-day trip that took him to Baghdad, Najaf, Nasiriyah, Erbil, Mosul and the town of Qaraqosh. The fate of the chair remains unclear, and no further details were immediately available.