Vatican City, Jan 11, 2004 / 22:00 pm
As is the custom every New Year, Pope John Paul II welcomed members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See and evaluated the world situation. This year his main concern again was peace and the menaces that threaten it.
The Holy Father looked at the lights and shadows of the world scene, saying that "the celebration of Christmas has just reminded us of God's tenderness for mankind, shown in Jesus, and has echoed once again the ever new message from Bethlehem: 'Peace on earth to the People whom God loves'”.
“This message reaches us this year while yet many peoples experience the consequences of armed struggles, suffer poverty, are victims of glaring injustices and pandemics difficult to overcome," he said.
The Pope reflected on the Middle East crisis, Iraq, Africa and terrorism. He said that “what matters today is that the international community help the Iraqis, freed from a regime which oppressed them, so that they might be in shape to take up the reins of their country, to consolidate its sovereignty, to democratically determine a political and economic system in conformity with their aspirations and that Iraq will become a credible partner in the international community.”
He also said that “the Israeli-Palestinian problem continues to be a factor of permanent destabilization for the entire region. The choice of arms, recourse on the one hand to terrorism and on the other to reprisals, humiliating one's adversary, and hateful propaganda, all of these lead nowhere. Only respect for the legitimate aspirations of both sides, a return to the negotiating table and the concrete commitment of the international community are capable of leading to the start of a solution."