Help refugees return to Syria, Iraq - pope

(ANSA) - VATICAN CITY, DEC 10 - Pope Francis on Thursday called for the return of refugees to Syria and Iraq.
    The pope made his plea at a virtual meeting of Church leaders in the Middle East on Thursday with a video message.
    The meeting focused on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria and Iraq, as well as in neighboring Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan.
    Dozens of representatives of local Catholic charities and Churches took part, including aid organizations, diocesan representatives, and religious congregations which operate in the Middle East.
    According to a press release, the meeting sought to improve coordination between various Church institutions in order to improve the lives of people suffering in the region.
    Pope Francis expressed his support for this goal in his video message.
    "Every effort—be it small or great—carried out to promote the path of peace," he said, "is like adding a brick to the structure of a just society, which is open and welcoming, and where everyone can find a place to dwell in peace." The Pope added that he often thinks about those from the Middle East who have been forced to flee their homes due to the horrors of war.
    He especially lamented the plight of so many Christians who fled the place of their birth, where their faith first blossomed.
    "We must work to ensure that the Christian presence in these lands continue to be what it has always been: a sign of peace, progress, development, and reconciliation between peoples," he said, according to Vatican News. (ANSA).