LES COMBES, Italy (CNS): As bombs and rockets continued to fall in Lebanon and Israel, Pope Benedict XVI called for dialogue, restraint and prayers for peace.
With some 5000 people gathered on July 16 to pray the Angelus in an Italian alpine meadow in Les Combes, where he was vacationing, Pope Benedict spoke of his “serious concern” for the escalating violence in the Middle East, particularly because the fighting had spread to Lebanon and had caused so many civilian deaths.
Lebanese officials said the number of civilian deaths had passed 100 by July 17, while Israeli officials reported 12 civilian deaths since the cross border attacks began on July 13 following the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah militias based in southern Lebanon.
While recognising that “objective situations of the violation of laws and justice” were at the root of the conflict, Pope Benedict said, “neither terrorist acts nor reprisals can be justified, especially when there are tragic consequences for the civilian population”.
