Pope to diplomats: Respect for rights, desires is only path to peace

Published: 2007-01-08

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Condemning continuing bloodshed in Iraq and Afghanistan, renewed fighting in Somalia and Sri Lanka and the ongoing holding of hostages in Colombia, Pope Benedict XVI said respect for the human rights and legitimate aspirations of peoples is the only path to peace. "The Holy See will never tire of reiterating that armed solutions achieve nothing, as we saw in Lebanon last summer," the pope said Jan. 8 in his annual address to ambassadors serving at the Vatican. Pope Benedict also condemned increased attacks on human life, particularly through abortion, and attempts to redefine marriage. "It is by respecting the human person that peace can be promoted," he told the ambassadors and representatives from 175 countries. "Yes, the future can be serene if we work together for humanity," the pope said. "Man, created in the image of God, has an incomparable dignity; man, who is so worthy of love in the eyes of his creator that God did not hesitate to give his own Son for him."

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