Pope appeals for persecuted Middle Eastern Christians

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Pope appeals for persecuted Middle Eastern Christians

By Paul Virgo (ANSA.IT) 17:02, November 25, 2013

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Vatican City, November 21 - Pope Francis on Thursday called for respect of human rights and the end of persecution for Christians in the Middle East.

The living conditions of Christians arouse great worry.

“In many parts of the Middle East they endure the consequences of current tensions and conflicts in a particularly burdensome manner,” said the pontiff, naming Syria, Iraq, Egypt among the areas that "sometimes drip with blood”.

The pope called for “respect for everyone's right to a dignified life and freedom to profess their own religion” in the Middle East.

“The Bishop of Rome will not rest as long as there are men and women of any religion with injured dignity, deprived of life's necessities, robbed of their futures, forced to the status of refugees and displaced persons,” Francis said.

Francis gave two addresses about the Middle East on Thursday.

The first was an encounter with patriarchs and major archbishops of Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite, who are in Rome for the plenary assembly of the congregation of Eastern Churches.

He also gave a separate address to all the participants of the plenary assembly. "Today, along with the pastors of the Churches of the East, we make an appeal that the right of all (people) to a decent life and to freely profess their faith be respected," said the pope.

Francis said the churches of the Middle East often live as "little flocks" in areas marked by hostility and conflict.

The Eastern Churches are fighting for survival, with Christians leaving their homes in the Middle East in increasing numbers amid attacks from Islamist groups. It has been estimated the over 400,000 Christians have been displaced and 1,000 killed in Syria alone since the rebellion against Bashar Hafez al-Assad's regime started in 2011.

"To that blessed land in which Christ lived, died and rose again... every Catholic owes a debt of gratitude to the Churches living (there)," Francis said. Francis quoted his predecessor Benedict XVI's description of the leaders of the Eastern Churches as "watchful guardians of communion and servants of Ecclesial unity". The pope has made a series of calls for peace in the region.

Earlier this month, for example, he said at a general audience that he was pained by the news of mortar fire that killed five schoolchildren in Syria and urged the faithful to "pray fervently... so these tragedies don't ever happen again".

In his Easter message earlier this year, the pope called for peace around the world and singled out the troubled Middle East.

He specifically prayed for: "Peace for the Middle East, and particularly between Israelis and Palestinians, who struggle to find the road of agreement, that they may willingly and courageously resume negotiations to end a conflict that has lasted all too long".