Pope prays for IS kidnap victims

1 March 2015, 2:34 pm

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Pope Francis leads tens of thousands of people in prayer in St. Peter’s Square for Christians and others who have been kidnapped or are victims of other “intolerable brutality” in Syria and Iraq.

The pope on Sunday also appeals for “everyone, in line with their possibilities, (to) act to alleviate the suffering.”

More than 220 Syrian Christians were kidnapped last week by the Islamic State group, with no word on their fate.

Pope Francis at the Vatican, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. (photo credit: AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, Pool) — Pope Francis at the Vatican, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. (photo credit: AP Photo/L’Osservatore Romano, Pool)

Francis calls for silent prayers for “these sisters and brothers who suffer for their faith in Syria and Iraq.” The packed square fell silent for a minute or so.

The pope says he wanted to assure the victims of kidnappings, abuse and other violence that “we don’t forget them.”

— AP