"The news coming from Iraq reveal the increase in armed violence, including murders, sufferings, human tragedies". It was the opening of the message which Card. Jean-Pierre Ricard, archbishop of Bordeaux and president of the French Bishops’ Conference, sent to Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of Babylonia of the Chaldeans. Card. Ricard expressed the "strong solidarity of the French bishops" to the Patriarch and the Christian community in Iraq. "The whole population is the victim of this dramatic situation went on Card. Ricard , but the Christian population is a special victim". By recalling that "in two years, one half" of them "had to leave the country to seek refuge in nearby countries", the president of the French bishops stated that "in Iraq, the Christians are in their own country, and they have the right to remain in there". He said that the perspective of building "a sort of ghetto" is "certainly unacceptable". Apart from expressing the solidarity of "the Catholics in France to their Iraqi brothers", Card. Ricard encouraged "the community of the nations and responsible governments to act with determination, to stop violence and to guarantee civil peace in Iraq". He also asked "political and religious exponents to undertake brave actions".
