By Associated Press

VATICAN CITY -- More than 1,000 Roman Catholic youths gathered in Baghdad to celebrate World Youth Day and ask for the Pope’s blessing "at this most difficult time for our country." The Iraqi Catholics also were joined by several Orthodox youths in a Baghdad cathedral and sent their "affectionate greetings" to their counterparts in Cologne, Germany, where Pope Benedict was celebrating the festival.

"We have gathered to know our Lord and to ask what he wants of us at this most difficult time for our country and for us," the youths said in their message. "We are bearing in mind the exhortation of Jesus: 'Courage, do not be afraid.'" Christians are believed to make up about 3 percent of Iraq's 26 million people -- most of them Catholics, Assyrians and Chaldeans.