Pope makes plea against Syria attack

Pope makes plea against Syria attack

Pontiff leads day of prayer appealing for world leaders not to plunge humanity further into 'spiral of sorrow and death'

Reuters in Vatican City

theguardian.com, Sunday 8 September 2013 / http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/08/pope-plea-syria-attack

Pope Francis has made an impassioned appeal before 100,000 people to avert a widening of Syria's conflict, urging world leaders to pull humanity out of a "spiral of sorrow and death".

Francis, who two days earlier had branded military action in Syria "a futile pursuit", led the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics in a global day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria, the Middle East and the world.

"Violence and war lead only to death, they speak of death! Violence and war are the language of death!" Francis said at the midpoint of a five-hour prayer service. Police and the Vatican estimated a crowd of about 100,000 in St Peter's Square.

The United States and France are considering military action against Syria to punish President Bashar al-Assad for a 21 August chemical weapons attack near Damascus that killed hundreds of people. Assad's government denies responsibility.

A number of people held up Syrian flags and placards reading "Hands off Syria" and "Obama you don't have a dream, you have a nightmare". But they were not allowed into St Peter's Square, in keeping with the pope's intention for a religious service.

The service was punctuated by music, prayer, the reciting of the rosary and long periods of silence in which the participants were asked to meditate on the need for peace to vanquish the destruction of war.

"We have perfected our weapons, our conscience has fallen asleep and we have sharpened our ideas to justify ourselves. As if it were normal we continue to sow destruction, pain, death!" said Francis, who wore his simple white cassock instead of ceremonial robes to the service.

"At this point I ask myself: is it possible to change direction? Can we get out of this spiral of sorrow and death? Can we learn once again to walk and live in the ways of peace?"

He then asked "each one of us, from the least to the greatest, including those called to govern nations, to respond: Yes, we want it!"

Dozens of vigils were held across France on Saturday evening. On the Montmartre hill in Paris several hundred Catholics prayed and fasted inside the Sacre Coeur Basilica.

Other services were held by Catholics and Christians of other denominations around the world, including in New York, Jerusalem, Assisi and Milan in Italy, Boston and Baghdad.

Yaha Pallavicini, a leader of Italy's Muslim community, attended a prayer service with other Muslims.

"Praying for the intention of peace is something that can only help fraternity and, God willing, avoid more war," he told Reuters. "As Muslims who want peace we have to work so that the values of faith and dialogue prevail over the destruction of peoples."

At least one senior US clergyman has publicly expressed reservations about President Barack Obama's campaign for military action against Syria. "As Congress debates a resolution authorising military force in Syria, I urge you instead to support US leadership for peace. Only dialogue can save lives and bring about peace in Syria," Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami said in a message sent to US members of congress.