Pope Calls for Mideast Peace that Respects Differences ahead of Lebanon Visit
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday called for peace in the Middle East based on "respect for legitimate differences" before his Lebanon trip this week as the conflict in neighboring Syria rages.
"We ask God to give this region of the world the peace it so desires, based on respect for legitimate differences. May God bless Lebanon and the Middle East," the pope said at the end of his weekly audience in the Vatican.
The pope's comments came shortly after the interior ministry in Libya confirmed that the U.S. ambassador and three officials were killed when a mob attacked the U.S. consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi on Tuesday.
The armed mob was protesting against a low-budget film deemed offensive to Islam and the attack came after protesters scaled the walls of the U.S. embassy in Cairo, tearing down the American flag to replace it with an Islamic one.
In Wednesday's speech the pope also called for Christians in the Middle East "to be builders of peace and players in reconciliation".
He called on governments to help Christians "continue to bear witness to Christ in these blessed lands, seeking communion and unity."
The Vatican has repeatedly expressed concern about the exodus of Christian minorities from several countries in the region and the rise of Islamism.
The pope said the history of the Middle East showed the "important and often primordial role" played by Christian communities in promoting dialogue.
12 September 2012, 14:59
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Phoenix i have to disagree with you on the democracy issue in syria,it wont happen salafists and the muslim brotherhood are leading the war over there and syria will adopt the same policies as egypt's, am islamic republic with sharia law as the state's recognized and only law despite the denial of any future politician that will be elected.
12 September 2012, 15:03
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Believe me dude despite the few moderate loving and democracy hopeful muslims i still believe that partition is the answer, i.e hizb is in power in Lebanon because they were ELECTED....... And by WHOM........... The people.
12 September 2012, 15:29
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I think you can count on the US to aid and facilitate the safe extraction of Christians from a new, democratic Lebanon. The US has proved its nation-building credentials in Afghanistan and Iraq and is ready to help its Lebanese brothers and sisters escape the scourage of democracy. After all, if God wanted us to live together in peace and justice, he would not have given us minds and free will. And, by the way, of course none of this has anything to do with Israel.
