The Pope yesterday called for an end to war in Syria and Iraq as he delivered his Easter Sunday message.
The pontiff condemned the violence which has seen Christians singled out and executed because of their faith.
Thousands of supporters braved rain to watch Pope Francis speak from a balcony above St Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
He
told the crowds: “We ask Jesus, the victor over death, to lighten the
sufferings of our many brothers and sisters who are persecuted for his
name, and of all those who suffer injustice as a result of ongoing
conflicts and violence.
“We ask for peace, above all, for Syria
and Iraq, that the roar of arms may cease and that peaceful relations
may be restored among the various groups which make up those beloved
countries.
“May the international community not stand by before
the immense humanitarian tragedy unfolding in these countries and the
drama of the numerous refugees.”
The build-up to Easter has been blighted by a series of attacks on Christians in Africa and the Middle East.
In
Kenya, where al Shabaab gunmen recently massacred nearly 150 people at a
university, churches have been forced to hire armed guards.
Pope Francis, 78, said: “May constant prayer rise up from all people of goodwill for those who lost their lives.
“I think in particular of the young people who were killed last Thursday at Garissa University College in Kenya.”
As
well as Syria and Iraq, the pope called for peace in the Holy Land,
Ukraine, Libya, Yemen, Nigeria, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of
Congo.
He concluded his address by saying: “We ask for peace and freedom for
the many men and women subject to old and new forms of enslavement on
the part of criminal individuals and groups.
“Peace and liberty
for the victims of drug dealers, who are often allied with the powers
who ought to defend peace and harmony in the human family.
“And we ask peace for this world subjected to arms dealers, who make their money from the blood of men and women.”
In his Easter Sunday sermon, the Archbishop of Canterbury said the 150 Kenyans who were killed three days ago are martyrs.
Credit: Dailymirror
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