Pope Francis said that more Christians are being persecuted today than at any time in human history.

“There are many martyrs today, in the Church, many persecuted Christians,” the Pope said during mass. “Think of the Middle East where Christians must flee persecution, where Christians are killed. Even those Christians who are forced away in an ‘elegant’ way, with ‘white gloves:’ that too is persecution. There are more witnesses, more martyrs in the Church today than there were in the first centuries.”

The Pope’s statements are seen as commentary on the current situation in Iraq where Islamic extremist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is slaughtering Christians.  Iraq’s Christian population traces their roots to the earliest days of Christianity.

The Pope said that the persecution could bring a great opportunity for Christians to be a witness to the world over faith in Christ.

“When historical situations require a strong witness, there are martyrs, the greatest witnesses. And the Church grows thanks to the blood of the martyrs. This is the beauty of martyrdom. It begins with witness, day after day, and it can end like Jesus, the first martyr, the first witness, the faithful witness: with blood,” the Pope said.