Pope expresses 'serious concern' for escalating Mideast violence

Published: 2006-07-17

LES COMBES, Italy (CNS) -- As bombs and rockets continued to fall in Lebanon and Israel, Pope Benedict XVI called for dialogue, restraint and prayers for peace. With some 5,000 people gathered July 16 to pray the Angelus in an Alpine meadow in Les Combes, where he was vacationing, Pope Benedict spoke of his "serious concern" for the escalating violence in the Middle East, particularly because the fighting had spread to Lebanon and had caused so many civilian deaths. Lebanese officials said the number of civilian deaths had passed 100 by early July 17, while Israeli officials reported 12 civilian deaths since the cross-border attacks began July 13 following the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers July 12 by Hezbollah militias based in southern Lebanon. While recognizing that "objective situations of the violation of laws and justice" were at the root of the conflict, Pope Benedict said, "neither terrorist acts nor reprisals can be justified, especially when there are tragic consequences for the civilian population."

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