The Baghdad Massacre - Victims flown to Rome's Gemelli Hospital; US Bishops say US has "moral obligation" to aid Iraq.

At the request of Pope Benedict XVI's Secretary of State Cardinal Bertone, 26 injured survivors of the Oct. 31st massacre of Catholics at the Syrian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Salvation have been flown to Rome's Gemelli Hospital. This must surely be a comforting gesture from the Vatican of solidarity with our suffering brothers and sisters.

More from Zenit.

Zenit also reports:

Chicago Cardinal Francis George, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, sent a letter last week to the U.S. president, in which he referenced the Oct. 31 attack on Baghdad's Syriac Catholic Cathedral, which left 58 dead and 75 wounded, as well as other violent outbreaks in the city. The letter earned the support today of the entire bishops' conference, who are meeting this week for their fall assembly.

He described the incidents as "grim evidence of the savage violence and lack of security that has plagued the Iraqi people [...] for over seven years." He also addressed reports that the attack on the cathedral "may have been more extensive and the failures of security more egregious than originally thought."

I think the British Government also shares this moral obligation. The US and Britain were the principal proponents of the invasion of Iraq. It is a mess (not wishing to enter into any discussion as to whether or not the invasion was justified). We need to guarantee security.

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