For many Iraqis, Pope Francis' visit was a glimpse of what is possible

Streets in Iraqi cities were quickly restored, but the overnight removal of decorations left a bitter taste

Pope Francis releases a white dove at Church Square in Mosul's Old City. Reuters

In cities like Mosul, entire neighbourhoods remain just rubble. Even in the capital, many Iraqis have been living for years with crumbling buildings and potholed streets.

But, in a bid to make a good impression on Pope Francis, Iraqi authorities rushed to rebuild, redecorate and restore and in the process showed Iraqis a country that could be.

It also sparked a wave of cynicism and even anger.

Before the visit, streets were repaved and lined with flowers and plants, vibrant murals were painted on bleak grey blast walls around churches and public buildings and for the first time, Iraqis saw the Great Ziggurat temple of Ur lit up at night.

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  Volunteers finalise preparations to recieve Pope Francis in the ruins of the Syriac Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception (al-Tahira) in the old city of Iraq's northern city of Mosul ahead of the pontiff's visit later in the week. AFP

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  Volunteers stand holding posters welcoming Pope Francis in the ruins of the Syriac Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception (al-Tahira) in the old city of Iraq's northern city of Mosul ahead of the pontiff's visit later in the week. AFP

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  Posters welcoming Pope Francis are prepared at St. Joseph's Chaldean Church ahead of the Pope's visit, in Baghdad, Iraq. AP Photo

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  Men stand holding a poster by UNESCO welcoming Pope Francis at a cultural centre in the old city of Iraq's northern city of Mosul ahead of the pontiff's visit later in the week. AFP

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  Pope Francis is preparing for what the Vatican website describes as the "apostolic journey of the holy father" to Iraq this week. Francis' visit will be the first by a pope to Iraq, and Roman Catholics are busy preparing for his arrival. Here, work is done on the roof of St Mary Al Tahira Church at Qaraqosh near Mosul, one of the churches on the Pope's schedule. Getty Images

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  A worker helps to prepare Erbil international Stadium, also known as the Franso Hariri Stadium, for the visit of Pope Francis to the capital of the Kurdistan region in Iraq. EPA

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  An Iraqi Christian visits a building in Qaraqosh, Iraq, that bears the scars of ISIS violence. Reuters

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  Father Ammar Altony Yako leads prayers as Christians attend mass at the Grand Immaculate Old Church in Qaraqosh, the largest church in Iraq. Pope Francis is scheduled to visit on Sunday as part of his tour. Reuters

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  The town of Qaraqosh was ravaged by ISIS after 2014 and liberated from the extremists in 2017. Christians of all denominations have joined in an effort to encourage their communities to return. Reuters

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  Christian militiamen and police officers stand guard at a gate in Qaraqosh, Iraq. Reuters

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  Staff at a shop in Arbil, the capital of Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdish region, print flyers for Pope Francis's visit. AFP

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  Workers print flyers of Pope Francis at a shop in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdish region, ahead of the first-ever papal visit to Iraq. AFP

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  Musicians from a joint Kurdish and Christians orchestra and choir rehearse at Erbil international Stadium, also known as the Franso Hariri Stadium, for the visit of Pope Francis to the capital of the Kurdistan region in Iraq. EPA

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  Choristers from a joint Kurdish and Christians orchestra and choir rehearse at Erbil international Stadium for the visit of Pope Francis to the capital of the Kurdistan region in Iraq. EPA

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  Banners and Iraqi and Vatican flags go up in central Baghdad to welcome Pope Francis. EPA

“No need to rush Baba, we are waiting for you,” one Facebook user said.

But that raised questions – why, after years of waiting, did it take the Pope visiting to spur action.

“Just in a period of two weeks, we have seen streets paved and cleaned, buildings rehabilitated and painted, street lights fixed, parks rehabilitated with new plants and fountains.

“This is proof that they are capable of doing anything in a very short period of time."

Then, within a few hours of the pontiff’s plane taking off from Baghdad airport to return to Rome on Monday, municipal authorities started to undo their hard work.

The power generator that lit Ur at night was back on a flatbed, even the bedding plants lining streets were dug back up and taken away.

Mosul activist Ali Y Al Baroodi shared pictures on Twitter showing how bleak the city’s streets looked once the greenery of the plants, trees and flowers were gone.

Mr Al Baroodi said Mosul Mayor Zuhair Al Araji assured that the flowers had only been removed temporarily. But in a city ravaged by war and that has suffered years of neglect, it did little do assuage public anger.

A glimmer of hope

The visit and the atmosphere it created brought optimism to Iraqis who have suffered from political wrangling and deteriorating living conditions since 2003.

“I’m optimistic because the message was loud and clear from the Pope,” Baghdad resident and activist Mustafa Abid told The National.

He took part in anti-corruption protests in Iraq in October 2019.

“I’m sure there will be good results for the country, mainly in terms of bringing peace,” Mr Abid said.

“But I’m not counting on the government in this. Instead, the society and the people who will interact positively with the calls made by the Pope."

He said the government and political parties wanted to exploit the visit to “polish their pictures” before elections in October.

“One of their tricks is to call for holding a national dialogue conference where the politicians, who are part of the country’s problems, will sit,” he said.

“If the government is serious, it knows what the people need and from where it should start. It needs to stop foreign intervention first and to improve the people's living conditions through offering services and jobs."