Pope Francis has thanked Jordan for bringing displaced Christians and other refugees from Iraq into its country, a year since the exodus began.
It was this time last year that at least hundreds of thousands of Christians began fleeing from Islamic State in Iraq to neighbouring countries.
It's thought Islamic State has forced 2.5 million people in all to leave their homes in Iraq, since it increased military action in the country last year.
Jordan and Lebanon have taken in significant numbers of Christian and other refugees.
According to the Catholic News Agency, Pope Francis said: "Many times I have wanted to give voice to the atrocious, inhumane and inexplicable persecution of those who in many parts of the world – and especially among Christians - are victims of fanaticism and intolerance - often under the eyes and silence of all.
"They are the martyrs of today, humiliated and discriminated against because of their fidelity to the Gospel.
"You [Jordan] announce the resurrection of Christ with the sharing of their pain and the fraternal help which provides aid to the hundreds of thousands of refugees; with your stooping down into their suffering, which risks suffocating hope; with your fraternal service, which also risks many dark moments of existence."
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Article by Aaron James
Tola Mbakwe is a multimedia journalist for Premier.
