Pope Francis had met on Friday at the Vatican with the Patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church, Mar Ignatius Joseph III Younan, with talks featuring high on the troubled situation in the Middle East.

The pair discussed the bloody crisis that has been prevailing over Syria for the past 25 months, claiming the lives of thousands of innocent Syrians, according to the statement issued by the Syriac Catholic patriarchate in Lebanon.

His Holiness listened to the details of the Patriarch's recent visit to Paris, and his meetings with senior officials which clearly and transparently dwelled on the dangers threaetning Christians in Syria.

The Pope followed up on the tragic situation in Syria and Iraq and said its potential effect on Lebanon raised concern over security and coexistence among the country's components.

The Pope voiced a strong desire to visit the Eastern churches so as to defend their rights, expressing his understanding of their suffering and encouraging them to remain faithful to their mission.