Pope Francis is pledging his support for persecuted Christians in Iraq.
The Pope said on Wednesday Iraq's Christians are the "heart" of the church and the world's Catholics are proud of them.
He also said the Catholic Church is like a mother that will "defend her defenseless and persecuted children."
His comments were translated into Arabic.
ISIS militants have driven tens of thousands of Christians from their homes and towns in northern Iraq.
The pope has also said the international community is justified in using force to stop the ISIS army.
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