CWN - One year after Iraqi Christian refugees fleeing the Islamic State began to arrive in Jordan, Pope Francis has written a letter decrying the persecution of Christians.
In an August 6 letter to Bishop Maroun Lanham, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem’s vicar for Jordan, Pope Francis lamented the “atrocious, inhumane, and inexplicable persecution” of Christians, victims of “intolerance and fanaticism” in the face of the “silence” of the international community.
“They are the martyrs of today, humiliated and discriminated against because of their fidelity to the Gospel,” the Pontiff added, as he called for daily prayers for the refugees and gratitude for their witness.
Pope Francis also thanked communities that did not “look the other way” but instead assisted the refugees.
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