Barzani receives Cardinal Filoni in meeting

The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan-Region Nechirvan Barzani today received Pope Francis’ personal emissary, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, and his accompanying delegation at a meeting that discussed the current crisis which has seen tens of thousands of internally displaced civilians while they remain trapped on Mount Sinjar by militants in northern Iraq, and the persecution of Christians.

Pope Francis dispatched Cardinal Fernando Filoni, the head of the Congregation for Evangelization, to Iraq as his personal envoy, entrusting him with a sum of money for humanitarian relief.

The Pope said he has asked Cardinal Filoni to manifest "my spiritual closeness and to express my concern, and that of the entire Catholic Church, for the intolerable suffering of those who only wish to live in peace, harmony and freedom in the land of their forefathers."

Mr Barzani said it is the duty of the Kurdish regional government to assist its civilians but due to rising figures it could not guarantee relief in their shape, and asked of the Iraqi government and international community to provide immediate humanitarian aid to those displaced.

At the meeting, both sides discussed the situation and stressed the need for international protection of all national and religious components of the Nineveh province, while stressing the need to make use of protection from all channels to reassure local population of oppression and political persecution by terrorists.

The Vatican announced the appointment of Filoni, a former papal nuncio to Iraq and Jordan, only a day after the pope launched a fresh appeal for the welfare of Christians affected by the violence there..