Confirmed: A woman who received a death sentence in Sudan for refusing to recant her Christian faith flew into Rome on an Italian government plane on Thursday and hours later met the Pope. Meriam Yahya Ibrahim walked off the aircraft cradling her baby and was greeted by Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi, saying it was a day of celebration. Soon afterwards, Ibrahim, her husband and two children had a private meeting with Pope Francis in the Vatican. The Pope thanked her for her witness to faith, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said. The meeting, which lasted around half an hour, was intended as a sign of closeness and solidarity for all those who suffer for their faith, he added. There were no details on what led up to the 27-year-olds departure after a month in limbo in Khartoum, but a senior Sudanese official said it had been cleared by the government. Italy joined with the United States in helping to free Ibrahim, and the countrys vice minister of foreign affairs accompanied her on the flight from Khartoum. In May, she received the death sentence on a conviction of apostasy. The conviction stemmed from a Sudanese law stating children of Muslim fathers are considered Muslim.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 16:44:30 +0000
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