With about 40 of the over 100 hostages taken during last night's Mass at Baghdad's Syrian-Catholic cathedral now reported to have been killed in the attack, at today's Angelus for All Saints Day, the Pope made the following appeal, translated here from the original Italian:Last evening, in a severe attack on the Syriac-Catholic cathedral of Baghdad, there were dozens of deaths and injuries, among them two priests and a grouping of the congregation there for Sunday's Holy Mass.I implore for the victims of this absurd violence, even more fierce in that it has been inflicted upon defenseless people collected in God's house, which is a sign of love and reconciliation. I show my affectionate closeness to the Christian community, now stricken again, and I encourage its pastors and faithful alike to be hard and house in hope. Beyond these savage moments of violence, that remain to pull asunder the peoples of the Middle East, I would lastly like to regenerate a heartfelt prayer for peace: it is a present of God, but it is also the result of the efforts of men of right will, of home and international institutions. May everyone unite their strengths to end every act of violence!
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In comments to Vatican Radio, an unknown source in Iraq's Catholic leadership said that the siege "represents a new and terrifying change in strategy by terrorists. it means all Christian parishes in Iraq are [now] in danger," and Baghdad Latin auxiliary Bishop Shlemon Warduni said that the country's already-embattled "Christian community no longer find safe, not still in the Home of God."[T]his approach will make a really negative influence on those who until now had chosen to continue in Baghdad," Warduni added, "with many saying they are set to leave".In the tragedy's wake, the leadership ofthe country's Eastern and Western Catholic churches gathered at the hubof the capital's almost 9,000-member Syriac community.PHOTOS: AP(1); Getty(2)30- 
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