Pope prays that Christians continue to live in Middle East

Published: 2007-02-01

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI prayed that the Christians of the Middle East would draw strength from the example of their churches' martyrs and would continue to live in the region. "The difficult situation which individuals and Christian communities face in the region is a cause of deep concern for all of us," the pope told representatives of the Oriental Orthodox churches Feb. 1. The representatives were in Rome for a meeting of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Participants in the dialogue come from the Armenian Apostolic Church, Coptic Orthodox Church, Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Syrian Orthodox Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and Eritrean Orthodox Church. Pope Benedict told the representatives he understood why so many Christians find it difficult to remain in the Middle East rather than emigrate, but they should "be courageous and steadfast" to ensure a continued Christian witness in the region, which has been plagued by violence.

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