Pope Francis condemned the international community’s “mute and inert” response to the persecution of Christians.
His strong comments on Easter Monday came after church leaders in the UK and in Rome used their homilies over the Easter weekend to draw attention to the plight of persecuted Christians in the Middle East and Africa.
While those homilies – including that by the preacher of the Papal household on Good Friday – were characterised by calls for Christians not to respond violently to persecution, Francis yesterday demanded “concrete and tangible” help.
He urged pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square yesterday to pray the Regina Coeli, the Marian hymn recited in place of the Angelus during Eastertide, with him: “I hope that the international community doesn’t stand mute and inert before such unacceptable crimes, which constitute a worrisome erosion of the most elementary human rights. I truly hope that the international community doesn’t look the other way.”
A day earlier, on Easter Day, Islamic State militants blew up a large 80-year-old church in north-eastern Syria, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported.
The Church of the Virgin Mary. Photo: AINAThe Church of the Virgin Mary stood in Tel Nasari, an Assyrian village.
The Assyrian International News Agency reported that the church was levelled after after Assyrian and Kurdish fighters attempted to re-enter their village.
Tel Nasari was one of 35 villages attacked by IS in February. Jihadists are still holding more than 300 villagers kidnapped during the attacks.
Pope Francis’ remarks on Monday were addressed to the Shalom Community, a New Movement for young people, which had sponsored a relay race to raise awareness of persecution.
Their race, which ended in St Peter’s Square, was over, he said, but: “What must continue on the part of all is the spiritual journey of prayer, intense prayer; the concrete participation and tangible help in the defence and protection of our brothers and sisters, who are persecuted, exiled, killed, beheaded, for the only reason of being a Christian.”
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