Pope Francis met with Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani; one of the Muslim world's leading authorities on March 6; 2021 in Najaf; Iraq. Ali Al-Sistani is the preeminent figure for Shiites in Iraq and many across the Middle East and he rarely opens his door to world leaders. The private meeting; which lasted 50 minutes; slightly longer than planned; took place at Sistani's modest residence; in Najaf; the holiest city for Shiites in Iraq.