Cardinal Quevedo condemns ISIS persecution of Christians, minorities in Iraq

Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo. Photo courtesy of CBCP News

MANILA, Philippines–Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo joined the international community in condemning the barbaric actions by the jihadist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighting in strife-torn Iraq.

Over Church-run Radio Veritas, Quevedo expressed support Monday for the worldwide condemnation of the persecution of Christians and minority groups there.

“I think I would neglect my duty as a religious leader not to condemn the situation in Iraq as created by this fundamentalist radical group,” said Quevedo, who has been known for his peace advocacy in Mindanao.

He added that “the time to use religion in the name of religious hegemony is long past the dialogue in the name of peace.”

Earlier, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Archbishop Socrates Villegas urged all members of the Church hierarchy to offer all Masses on Aug. 18 for peace in Iraq.

This was in response to the call of Pope Francis for all the faithful of the Church across the globe to raise a voice of ceaseless prayer for the restoration of peace in Iraq and Syria.

The extremist group has seized control of several areas in the two Middle Eastern countries and persecuted Christians and other minorities residing there. The group has also driven Christians away from Mosul by threatening to kill them if they continued to stay in the area without converting to Islam.