Pope Francis blesses during his Angelus prayer in Saint Peter's square at the Vatican December 26, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
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Mon
Dec 26, 2016
Pope
Francis paid tribute on Monday to Middle East Christians who have clung to
their faith during persecution by Islamist militants, saying there are more
Christians martyrs now than in the Church's early days.
The
pope spoke to thousands of people in St. Peter's Square for his holiday
blessing on the feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr.
He
mentioned the persecution of Christians in Iraq, many of whom where able to
spend their first Christmas since 2013 in churches after towns and cities were
retaken from Islamic State.
"This
was an example of fidelity to the Gospel," he said. "Despite trials
and dangers, they courageously show that they belong to Christ," he said.
"Today,
we want to think of them and be close to them with our affection, our prayers
and even our tears," the pope said.
Christians
in northern regions of Iraq held by Islamic State were given an ultimatum: pay
a tax, convert to Islam, or die by the sword. Most of them fled to the
autonomous Kurdish region to the east.
Leaders
of various churches, including the Coptic Church in Egypt, whose members have
been beheaded and churches bombed, have called the fact that Christians of all
denominations were being killed in the Middle East an "ecumenism (unity)
of blood."
"There
are more Christian martyrs today than in the first centuries," said the
pope, who has often denounced Islamic State and condemned the concept of
killing in God's name.
(Reporting
by Philip Pullella; editing by David Clarke)
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