Vatican City: Pope Francis condemned
indifference and "complicit silence" to jihadist
attacks on Christians as he presided over Easter
ceremonies in the wake of a massacre of nearly
150 people at a Kenyan university by Shebab
Islamists.
The leader of the world`s 1.2 billion Catholics
brought up the extremist persecution of
Christians as the holiest ceremonies of the
Church calendar reached a climax Sunday, when
believers celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.
The Islamists behind Thursday`s university attack
that shocked Kenya are reported to have
separated out their victims into Muslims and non-
Muslims, before killing the Christians.
"Today we see our brothers persecuted,
decapitated, crucified for their faith in you, under
our eyes and often with our complicit silence," the
pope said after the traditional Via Crucis (Way of
the Cross) procession through Rome on Friday,
which recreates Christ`s last hours before he was
crucified.
The Vatican has increasingly voiced frustration
that attacks on Christians in places such as Iraq,
Libya, Pakistan and Nigeria have not been more
strongly condemned by Muslim authorities and
Western governments.
In France, Prime Minister Manuel Valls tweeted on
Saturday: "We have to give our total support to
Eastern Christians who are the victims of
barbarism."
He made the comment after facing criticism after
a poster for concerts in support of Christian
communities in Syria and Iraq was banned from
the Paris transport system.
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