Pope Francis assails "atrocious" persecution of Christians

VATICAN CITY, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Pope Francis assailed persecution of Christians and minorities Thursday in a letter to the Jordanian Catholic Church.

"I have wished to give voice to the atrocious, inhuman and inexplicable persecutions of those, who in many parts of the world – and especially amongst Christians – are victims of fanaticism and intolerance, often under the eyes and in the silence of all. They are the martyrs of today, humiliated and discriminated against for their faith in the Gospel," he wrote, adding that he called on the international community not to sit silently.

The letter was addressed to Maroun Lahham, auxiliary bishop of Jerusalem and patriarchal vicar in Jordan, and will be delivered to the Jordanian Catholic Church by Italian Bishops' Conference secretary Nunzio Galantino when he visits Jordan this weekend to deliver humanitarian aid to refugees displaced by the Syrian conflict.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimated there are 629,000 registered Syrian refugees currently in Jordan; millions more have been displaced by the four-year civil war.