POPE Francis held a historic meeting with Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani yesterday, in a powerful appeal for coexistence in a country torn by sectarianism and violence. Their meeting in the holy city of Najaf, during a whirlwind and risky tour of Iraq by Francis, was the first time a pope has met with such a senior Shi'ite cleric. After the meeting, Sistani, one of the most important figures in Shi'ite Islam, called on world religious leaders to hold great powers to account and for wisdom and sense to prevail over war. The pope also called for…