Vatican officials call on Muslim leaders to denounce ‘barbarity’ of ISIS against Christians
Vatican officials are urging Muslim leaders to denounce the “barbarity” of the Islamic State’s attacks against Christians and other minorities in Iraq, saying their credibility is on the line.
The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, the main Vatican office that deals with the Muslim world, said Tuesday that “the forced expulsions and massacres of Christians and minority Yazidis shamed humanity and couldn’t be justified by any religion.”
The office said the “unspeakable criminal acts” (i.e. the beheading, crucifying and hanging of bodies in public places), the “barbaric practice of infibulation,” the abduction of women and girls and the destruction of Christian religious symbols (Jonah’s tomb) required a “clear and courageous stance on the part of religious leaders, especially Muslims.”
“If not, what credibility will religions, their followers and their leaders have?” the statement warned.
Pope Francis has denounced these attacks against Christians. He has also sent a personal envoy, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, to the region to show solidarity with the victims, provide them with emergency funding and meet with Iraqi and Kurdish leaders.
In Sunday’s mass, the Pope deplored reports of “thousands of people, including many Christians, driven from their homes in a brutal manner; children dying of thirst and hunger in their flight; women kidnapped; people massacred; [and] violence of every kind.”
“All this gravely offends God and humanity. Hatred is not to be carried in the name of God. War is not to be waged in the name of God,” he added.
The Fides missionary news agency said Filoni was heading to Iraq via Jordan on Tuesday.
“Since 2003, the situation has never improved,” Filoni was quoted as saying in a recent interview about Iraqi violence.
“I believe [Pope] John Paul II was right when he warned the political leaders at that time to rediscover the paths of a peace that was not [found] and for [the lack of which] we are suffering these consequences today.”