Pope calls for end to Syria bloodshed
VATICAN CITY - The Associated Press
AFP photo
Pope Benedict XVI implored the Syrian regime yesterday to heed international demands to end the bloodshed and expressed hope that the joy of Easter will comfort Christian communities suffering because of their faith.“Particularly in Syria, may there be an end to bloodshed and an immediate commitment to the path of respect, dialogue and reconciliation, as called for by the international community,” Benedict said, making Syria the first of several strife-torn countries he mentioned in his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” (Latin for “to the city and to the world”) Easter speech.
Benedict also lamented that many Syrians who have fled the conflict are enduring “dreadful sufferings” and prayed that they would receive welcome and assistance.
