Letter to the Pope of Rome
His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians addressed a letter of condolence to the Pope Benedictus XVI of the Roman Catholic Church.
His Holiness expressed his condolences on the occasion of the deaths of 58 innocent victims and members of the Assyrian Catholic (Chaldean) who died after a November 1 terrorist attack at the Sayidat al-Nayyat Assyrian Catholic Church in Baghdad.
In his letter, His Holiness states: "I call on the Iraqi authorities to ensure the rights and liberties of Christian ethnic minorities and strictly condemn this inadmissible act, which was a planned step toward fomenting inter-religious hatred in a country where Christians and Muslims have been living in peace for centuries.
I express my condolence to Your Holiness, the Patriarch of the Assyrian Catholic Church of Iraq, clergymen and believers and pray to God so that He accepts the souls of the innocent victims with love and pity."
Let us remind that on Sunday a group of armed individuals first attacked the stock market in Baghdad, killed security officers, entered the Catholic Church and kept nearly 120 people hostage. Nearly 52 people were killed during the special service to free the hostages.
