by Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis condemned the actions of Islamic State militants in Iraq, saying that persecuting Christians and other minorities “seriously offends God and seriously offends humanity.”

“One cannot generate hatred in God’s name,” he said Aug. 10. “One cannot make war in God’s name!”

After reciting the Angelus, Pope Francis asked tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square to join him for a moment of silent prayer for peace in Iraq and for the tens of thousands of people forced from their homes in northeastern Iraq as fighters from the Islamic State tried to increase the territory under their control.

“The news from Iraq leaves us incredulous and appalled,” Pope Francis said. “Thousands of people, including many Christians, have been chased from their homes in a brutal way; children die of thirst and hunger during the flight; women are kidnapped; people are massacred; violence of every kind; destruction everywhere.”

The pope also used Twitter to appeal for peace and for the protection of innocent civilians. Instead of one daily general message about faith on his @Pontifex account, Pope Francis sent three tweets each day, Aug. 8-10, urging people to join him in prayer.

At the Angelus, he also called on the international community and Iraq’s beleaguered government to “stop these crimes” and reestablish law and order.

Pope Francis thanked “those who, with courage, are bringing aid to these brothers and sisters of ours” and told people he was sending Cardinal Fernando Filoni as his personal envoy to Iraq. Cardinal Filoni, a former nuncio to Iraq and current prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, met the pope privately the evening of Aug. 10 to receive instructions for the mission and a financial contribution “for the urgent needs” of the victims, according to Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman.