DHAKA: Pope Francis on Thursday said the Catholic Church will not accept a Middle East without Christians, who often find themselves forced to flee areas of conflict and unrest in the region.

‘We will not resign ourselves to imagining a Middle East without Christians,’ he said after meeting with Patriarchs from Syria, Iraq and Egypt, before calling for ‘the universal right to lead a dignified life and freely practise one’s own faith to be respected’.

The Straits Times publishes this report.

BDST: 1809 HRS, NOV 20, 2013
RoR/BSK