Human rights must be respected, pope says in World Peace Day message

Published: 2005-12-13

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Even in the midst of war, basic human rights must be respected and all parties involved must work to end hostilities, Pope Benedict XVI said in his message for World Peace Day 2006. International humanitarian law is "binding on all peoples" even in times of war, he said in his message for the Jan. 1 day of prayer. Pope Benedict's message, "In Truth, Peace," was released Dec. 13 at the Vatican. The pope began his message, which is distributed to heads of state around the world, by offering his best wishes to all people of good will, "especially those who are suffering as a result of violence and armed conflict." Pope Benedict wrote, "My greeting is one filled with hope for a more serene world, a world in which more and more individuals and communities are committed to the paths of justice and peace."

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