Appeals to the international community for dialogue and justice
Vatican, May 16.– “Violence never leads to peace.”
Pope Francis gave this warning during his General Audience on May 16, 2018, calling on the international community to resolve the situation in the Holy Land, two days after the inauguration of the US embassy in Jerusalem, which was accompanied by much bloodshed in Gaza.
Expressing his concern, the Pope said: “I am very concerned by the aggravation of tensions in the Holy Land and in the Middle East, and by the spiral of violence that is increasingly moving away from the path of peace, dialogue and negotiations. “
“I express my great sorrow for the dead and wounded and I am close to all those who suffer by prayer and affection,” he added from St. Peter’s Square. Clashes between the Israeli army and Palestinian protesters left at least 58 dead and more than 1350 wounded.
“The use of violence,” he stressed, “never leads to peace.”
“War calls for war, violence calls for violence,“ warned the Pope before launching an appeal: ”I invite all parties involved and the international community to renew the commitment to prevail dialogue, justice and peace. ” (...)
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