Saddam's capture may bring peace, doesn't excuse war, cardinal says

Published: 2003-12-16

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The capture of Saddam Hussein may help bring peace to Iraq, but it does not change the fact that "the war was useless, and served no purpose," a top Vatican official said. Cardinal Renato R. Martino, head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said the Vatican wants Saddam to receive a fair trial for alleged crimes during his long dictatorship. As in other cases, the Vatican is opposed to the death penalty for the fallen Iraqi leader, he said. Cardinal Martino offered the first substantial Vatican reaction to the capture and detention of Saddam by U.S. forces. He spoke Dec. 16 at a press conference to present Pope John Paul II's World Day of Peace message. The cardinal said he hopes Saddam's capture "contributes to peace and the reconstruction of Iraq. But it would be illusory to think that it will repair the damage caused by that great defeat for humanity which war always represents."

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