Damascus, Syria, May 11, 2012 / 11:59 am
Syrian rebels and officials were urged to heed Pope Benedict XVI's call for peace and dialogue, after two suicide bombings killed 55 people in Damascus on May 10.
“The appeal made by the Holy Father on Easter Day is now more pressing than ever,” Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi announced in a May 11 statement. “It is necessary without delay to make an immediate commitment to the path of respect, dialogue and reconciliation.”
“We cannot but express our strong condemnation and the heartfelt closeness of the Holy Father and the Catholic community to the families of the victims,” said the priest and director of the Holy See Press Office, reacting to the explosions that “brought carnage to the streets of Damascus.”
“These attacks should encourage all sides to boost and strengthen their commitment to implementing the Annan Peace Plan, which has been accepted by all sides in the conflict,” Fr. Lombardi stated.