Pope says he shares worries, hopes of Christians in Middle East

Published: 2008-01-18

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While many Catholics in the Middle East suffer from discrimination and may even be denied religious freedom, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged them to engage in dialogue with their Muslim and Jewish neighbors and to strengthen their bonds with other Christians. The pope met Jan. 18 at the Vatican with the Latin-rite bishops of Israel, the Palestinian territories, Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait, the Arabian Peninsula, and Djibouti and Somalia. The bishops were making their "ad limina" visits to the Vatican to report on the status of their dioceses. Latin-rite Patriarch Michel Sabbah of Jerusalem, president of the regional Latin bishops' conference, told the pope that religious affiliation is the major point of identity in all of the countries and has a huge influence on either stability or instability. He said there was a clear need for "a new education in openness and understanding the other, who is different because of his religion, but identical for belonging to the same homeland."

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