Before his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Francis met with representatives from the Yazidi faith who have found refuge in Germany.
The Holy Father presented a brief address, in which he expressed his solidarity and called for a worldwide response to the Yazidi plight.
POPE FRANCIS
“My thoughts and prayers go to the innocent victims of senseless and inhumane barbarity. It is unacceptable that human beings are persecuted and killed because of their religious affiliation! Every person has the right to freely profess his religious beliefs. Your history, rich in spirituality and culture, has unfortunately been marked by unspeakable violations of the fundamental rights of the human person...”
The Yazidis are one of Iraq's oldest religious minorities. An historically oppressed group, their persecution has worsened in recent times. Since 2014, the Islamic State and other extremist groups have intensified killings and enslavement of Yazidis. The oppression has caused the flight of many.
