Rome, Italy, Jan 28, 2009 / 09:50 am
During his intervention Tuesday at the General Assembly of the Meeting of the Aid Agencies for the Middle East, Archbishop Fernando Filoni of the Vatican Secretariat of State said Pope Benedict XVI is concerned about the situation Christians in the Middle East are facing.
According to the L’Osservatore Romano, the archbishop said the Pope is concerned about all those who suffer and about the lack of future prospects. “Many have left their land due to unemployment or lack of recognition in a society influenced by Islam,” where there is no “freedom and respect,” the archbishop said.
“Benedict XVI has already been informed about this situation by the bishops of Iraq and Iran during their respective ‘ad limina’ visits,” the Vatican daily reported.