Tomasi demands UN protects Christians

At the United Nations, the Vatican’s permanent observer has criticised the current lack of political will to resolve conflicts in the Middle East, and accused the US and Russia of showing little real concern about the growing persecution of Christians.

“As Christians, we must be optimistic, knowing providence guides history,” said Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, 74, in Geneva. “But we must get beyond the mentality that supposes violent conflict is the way to resolve difficulties. We have to build trust, so people can talk and reach reasonable compromises.”

The Italian told Vatican Radio that Catholic and Orthodox leaders in the Middle East had provided “direct evidence” of the plight of local Christians, but said an international commitment to help had been blocked by opposing US and Russian interests. “If we do not stand up for peaceful solutions there, we will make ourselves complicit in ending the Christian presence in Iraq and Syria,” Archbishop Tomasi said. “We are faced with a lack of political will to settle the violent conditions we see in various parts of the world, especially the Middle East.”

The diplomat in August said action to prevent anti-Christian outrages by Islamists was now a “moral imperative”.