Justin Welby visits persecuted Christians in Pakistan
The Archbishop of Canterbury has met with persecuted Christians in Pakistan to express solidarity with them and their communities.
Most Rev Justin Welby travelled to Lahore and Islamabad and shared times of prayer and worship with those who have endured terror attacks in recent years.
Lambeth Palace confirmed he joined a special service at St Thomas in Islamabad attended by families and victims of a suicide bomb attack at All Saints Peshawar in September 2013.
He described the service as "deeply moving" and spoke to those gathered of the words of Psalm 56:8, of God knowing our sorrows, and of the Christian belief in the crucified God.
Archbishop Justin then preached at an ecumenical service in Lahore before meeting more survivors of terrorism.
His trip also included a meeting with an advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan in which he discussed freedom of religion and the importance of protecting religious minorities in Pakistan.
While following Christ is legal in Pakistan, many believers face social discrimination. The country's strict blasphemy laws have also seen many Christians fall into trouble for allegedly insulting Islam.
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