Criticism, But Not Written Down

Middle Eastern Bishops Criticize Treatment of Christians Under Islam, But Not in Written Document [Excerpts]

By Patrick Goodenough 

A gathering of Catholic bishops from the Middle East at the Vatican this month produced strongly worded criticism of Islam from some participants. But a final communique released at the weekend largely skirted the plight of Christians under Islam, paying more attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict instead.

The two-week synod, which ended on Sunday, came amid the continuing migration of minority Christians from parts of the Middle East, where they face varying levels of discrimination and persecution.

Over the summer, more than 70 Iraqi Christian leaders met near Mosul and urged the government in Baghdad to save an ancient community that reportedly has declined from 1.5 million in the late 1980s to perhaps 400,000 today.

(http://cnsnews.com/news/article/middle-eastern-bishops-criticize-treatme).