Vatican Strongly Condemns Ashrafiyeh 'Absurd Murderous Violence'

The Vatican strongly condemned Friday's attack in Beirut's Ashrafiyeh that killed eight people, including Intelligence Bureau chief Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hasan.

"The attack in Beirut deserves the strongest condemnation for its absurd murderous violence," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said in a statement, adding that the attack was "contrary to efforts and commitments to maintaining peaceful coexistence in Lebanon."

"It is to be hoped that this horrible event will not be an excuse for increased violence," Lombardi said. Instead, "Lebanon should represent, as the pope has said repeatedly, a message of peace and hope for its people and those of the entire region."

The rush-hour bombing has touched off painful memories of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war and the political unrest that has troubled post-war years.

Pope Benedict XVI, during a visit to Lebanon in September, called on the international community, especially Arab countries, to work to resolve bloody conflicts in the region, notably in Syria.

The powerful car bomb rocked a street adjacent to Sassine Square in Ashrafiyeh, leaving Hasan and seven other people dead and 78 people wounded, in the first such attack in the Lebanese capital since 2008.