Pope Francis and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have agreed today during a meeting in the Vatican, on the need to protect the rights of Christian minorities in the Middle East, the State Department said.
Pompeo, who began this week his trip to Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Greece, met with the Pope for about an hour.
“They reaffirmed the commitment of the United States and the Holy See to promote religious freedom worldwide, and in particular to protect Christian communities in the Middle East,” Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department of State Morgan Ortagus said.
Long-standing Christian communities have faced persecution or harassment in some Middle Eastern countries, and many Christians have fled these countries to start new lives in the West.
Pompeo, accompanied by his wife Susan on his trip to Italy, is expected to make short stops in Montenegro and Norht Macedonia tomorrow, Friday, before heading to Athens.
Source: ANA-MPA