Pope Francis Writes to UN Secretary-General About Situation in Iraq - East Idaho News
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Pope Francis Writes to UN Secretary-General About Situation in Iraq

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Thinkstock 081314 Vatican?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1407971104434Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Pope Francis wrote a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday regarding the situation in northern Iraq.

Noting the reports of Christians and other religious minorities being forced to flee their homes and witness the destruction of places of worship, Pope Francis said he wrote the letter to express his concern for the “intolerable suffering of those who only wish to live in peace, harmony and freedom in the land of their forefathers.” As the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria continues to threaten more cities in northern Iraq and take part in violent attacks, the pope encouraged Ban and the U.N. charter nations to continue their efforts to assist refugees.

The ISIS attacks “cannot but awaken the consciences of all men and women of goodwill to concrete acts of solidarity by protecting those affected or threatened by violence and assuring the necessary and urgent assistance for the many displaced people,” Pope Francis said.

The pope’s emissary, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, left on a trip to the region on Tuesday. He is expected to travel to Baghdad and other parts of Iraq in the coming days.


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