Pope Urges Decisive Commitment by International Community to End Fighting in Syria
“I renew my heartfelt appeal so that all sides in the conflict show a sign of good will so that a sliver of hope can open up for the worn-out population,” Pope Francis told several hundred people in St. Peter’s Square for his weekly blessing and message on Sunday.
Syria had seen “every type of violence and enormous suffering by the population, particularly the most vulnerable, such as children, women and the elderly,” said the pope, who last Monday returned from a trip to bordering Iraq.
He also called for a “decisive” commitment by the international community to end fighting and help reconstruction and economic recovery.
He then led the crowd in prayer for the “beloved and martyred Syria.”
Since 2011, foreign-backed militancy in Syria has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions more.
