Jul 30, 2006 / 22:00 pm
During his weekly Angelus address, Pope Benedict XVI lamented the growing tragedy in the Middle East and renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire.
"At these moments," the Holy Father told the hundreds of pilgrims gathered in the internal courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at Castelgandolfo, "I cannot fail to think of the ever more serious and tragic situation of the Middle East: hundreds of dead, many injured, a vast mass of homeless and displaced people, cities and infrastructures destroyed, while hatred and thirst for revenge seem to be growing in the hearts of many.
"These facts clearly demonstrate," the Pontiff said, "that it is not possible to re-establish justice, create a new order and build real peace when there is recourse to ... violence."
"More than ever, we see how much the Church's voice is at once prophetic and realistic when, in the face of war and conflicts of all kinds, she indicates the path of truth, justice, love and freedom. This is the path that humanity today must also follow in order to achieve the desired good of real peace."