Pope meets Vatican envoy to Iraq

Cardinal Filoni

On Sunday evening Pope Francis received Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and newly appointed Personal Envoy of the Pope in Iraq, in Casa Santa Marta, to show his closeness to the people, and especially to Christians, severely affected by the current conflict and who are most in need of support and encouragement.

The Cardinal informed the Pope on the preparations for his mission and his imminent departure.

The Holy Father expressed his feelings to the Cardinal with regards to the ongoing tragic events - feelings already expressed publicly by him several times in recent days - and gave him his personal recommendations for the mission, and a sum to be used for urgent aid to the people most affected, as a sign of concrete solidarity. A meeting with the highest national authorities and the Kurdish Region has also been scheduled.

Source: VIS