He has been meeting Middle Eastern patriarchs in Rome, to discuss the dangers faced by the dwindling Christian communities in the region.
In recent years millions of Christians have been displaced in the region.
They have fled attacks by Islamist extremists and growing tensions since the Arab spring.
Francis said he had spoken to the patriarchs about "those who live in the Middle East, often in small flocks, in environments marked by hostility and conflicts" and "the size of the diaspora, which is notably growing".
He said he was concerned by "the situation of Christians, who suffer in a particularly severe way the consequences of tensions and conflicts in many parts of the Middle East", amid a belief that some Christians are scapegoated for the actions of Western powers in the region.
"Syria, Iraq, Egypt and other areas of the Holy Land sometimes overflow with tears," he said. » | Thursday, November 21, 2013
