The head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Oriental Churches has called upon Iraq’s leaders to protect its Christian population and pursue peace.

According to Vatican Radio, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri made the appeal during Mass in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome last night that was attended by some of the survivors of the recent attack on a Baghdad church in which 58 people died. Some of those injured in the attack have been in Rome to receive treatment at the city's Gemelli hospital.

He told the congregation: “Christians must be allowed to remain where they were born to offer personally and through the works of the church, without any discrimination, their unique contribution.

“They wish to contribute to the progress of their beloved country in generous openness towards Muslims and all their compatriots.”

He went on to say that acts of cruelty could not destroy a religion and that persecution would only contribute to the growth of the church.

“The church in fact does not diminish with persecution, rather it develops,” he said.

The Mass was joined by the representatives of other faiths. Cardinal Sandri urged them to raise the issue of persecution with their national governments and ask them to take concrete action to “promote the peaceful coexistence of individuals and communities throughout the Middle East”.

Security at churches across Iraq has been heightened since the attack on the Our Lady of Salvation church in Baghdad in which al-Qaeda-linked gunmen forced their way in and took the congregation hostage before opening fire.

Since the attack, several more Christians have been killed by extremists in Iraq’s Christian neighbourhoods.

Open Doors, an organisation supporting persecuted Christians around the world, said extremists were carrying out “religion-cide” in Iraq.

Christianity has existed in Iraq for the last 2,000 years but the already small Christian population has decreased rapidly since hostilities against them intensified following the US-led invasion in 2003.

Since then, extremists have bombed several churches and kidnapped and murdered priests.

The group behind the Baghdad church attack, the Islamic State of Iraq, posted a statement on militant websites making clear their determination to kill more Christians.

“We will open upon them the doors of destruction and rivers of blood,” they said, according to The Associated Press. “All Christian centres, organisations and institutions, leaders and followers are legitimate targets for the mujahedeen (holy warriors) wherever they can reach them.”