Vatican- Pope- I am especially concerned about Indian and Iraqi Christians- under such persecution at present

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. News 24 (secular) 26/10/08)

Article by Marc Aupiais

This Sunday, Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, of the illustrious Roman Catholic Church, having announced plans to visit Africa, noted some spots of trouble for Christians, noting especially some eastern countries, where Christians suffer intolerance, unjust violence, and are forced or threatened into leaving their homes. He by name mentioned India, where over 50 000 Christians have been adversely affected, and 60 have been killed in an anti-Christian Genocide, and Iraq, where about 2300 Christians recently had to flee the city of Mossul.

He also mentioned hopes for China, where authorized religion is controlled, and censored by the state, and Catholic priests and bishops seemingly have appeared to disappear every now and again, and where the underground church suffers grave threats daily. China and the Vatican have no diplomatic relations, this since 1951, and the Chinese Catholic church is considered sacramental by the papacy, but not due to any compromises to allow safe worship in the country, however underground bishops are not permitted to partake in many meetings on Chinese soil.

The "Open" Catholic Church, in the control of the Chinese government, is one Catholics are discouraged from attending in a very extreme sense by the Vatican, due to the control of it by a foreign power.