Pope to Iraqi Christians: ‘Church suffers with you’

As Islamic militants force Christian minorities to flee Iraq, Pope Francis calls on international community to act.

ALESSANDRA TARANTINO/APPope Francis waves to the crowd as he arrives for his weekly general audience at St. Peter's Square on Wednesday in Vatican City.
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has sought to encourage Iraq’s beleaguered Christians under threat from Islamic militants, saying they are the “heart” of the church and that the church is proud of them.
In comments translated into Arabic during his weekly Wednesday general audience, Francis said the Catholic Church is like a mother, and like any mother will “defend her defenseless and persecuted children.”

FABIO FRUSTACI/EPAPope Francis greets people upon arrival for his weekly general audience at Saint Peter's Square Wednesday in Vatican City.

Thousands of Christians have been forced from their homes by Islamic State militants who have carved out a self-styled caliphate in the large area straddling the Iraqi-Syrian border that it now controls.

ALESSANDRO BIANCHI/REUTERSPope Francis, speaking during his weekly audience at Saint Peter's Square Wednesday in Vatican City, compared the Catholic Church to a mother, and like any mother will "defend her defenseless and persecuted children."

Francis has said it was legitimate to use force to stop the militants, but that the international community should decide how to do so.

He said: “The church suffers with you and is proud of you.”