Mosul, Iraq

As news broke that the al-Qaeda-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) ordered all Christians out of the Iraqi city of Mosul this weekend - allowing them to take nothing but the clothes on their backs - Pope Francis expressed deep sorrow and compassion for their plight.

Al Arabiya is reporting that ISIS issued an ultimatum last week to any Christians living in Iraq's northern city of Mosul that they were to vacate the city by noon on Saturday or face certain death.

“We were shocked by the distribution of a statement by the Islamic State calling on Christians to convert to Islam, or to pay unspecified tribute, or to leave their city and their homes taking only their clothes and no luggage, and that their homes would then belong to the Islamic State,” said Patriarch Louis Sako to the AFP.

This was after the militants had begun tagging Christian homes with the letter "N" for "Nassarah" a pejorative term by which the Koran refers to Christians.

Witnesses said warnings to Christians to get out of the city were blasted from loudspeakers from the city's mosques on Friday, giving them less than 24 hours to leave.

According to Sako, Christian families are on their way to Dohuk and Arbil in the neighboring autonomous region of Kurdistan.

“For the first time in the history of Iraq, Mosul is now empty of Christians,” he said.

Pope Francis bemoaned the latest developments.

“I have received with some concern the news from the Christian communities of Mosul, Iraq, and from other parts of the Middle East who, ever since the beginnings of Christianity, have co-existed there alongside their fellow citizens, making a significant contribution to the good of society”, said the Pope after today's Angelus prayer. “Today they are persecuted. Our brothers are persecuted, they are cast out, they are forced to leave their homes without having the chance to take anything with them. To these people I wish to express my closeness and my constant prayer. Dear brothers and sisters, so persecuted, I know how much you suffer, I know that you have been deprived of everything. I am with you in faith in He Who conquered evil”.

He urged them to continue their prayer for the situations of tension and conflict that persist in many areas of the world, especially in the Middle East and Ukraine. “May the God of peace rouse in everyone an authentic desire for peace and reconciliation. Violence cannot be overcome with violence. Violence is defeated with peace! Let us pray in silence, for peace; all of us, in silence. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!”

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