Pope Francis meets with Asia Bibi’s family: I pray for you, Asia, the suffering
Pope Francis met the husband and daughter of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death by a court in Pakistan over blasphemy charges, the Vatican confirmed.
“I pray for Asia, for you and for all Christians who are suffering,” Francis told Bibi’s husband Ashiq Masih and their 15-year-old daughter, according to the Vatican Insider website.
Mother of five Bibi has been on death row since 2009 after a group of women targeted the Christian while working in the a field. She was accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad, a charge she denies. Soon afterwards, she was jailed and sentenced by a court to death by hanging.
Bibi’s death sentence was confirmed in October 2014 by the Lahore High Court.
An NGO helped Bibi’s husband and daughter to travel to Europe, seeking to rally support for their cause. They want European officials to take up the issue with Islamabad.
Last November, the EU parliament called on Pakistan to overhaul its blasphemy laws with a view to repealing them, saying they were being used to target Christians and other minorities.
Bibi is waiting for the final ruling of the Supreme Court. Her case is set to go back to trial in May.
During the recent Easter celebration, Bibi asked Pope Francis to pray for her. Several months earlier, she had sent him a letter.
