Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Pope pleads for ceasefire amid ‘inhuman conflict’ in Syria

Pope pleads for ceasefire amid ‘inhuman conflict’ in Syria

Last updated on: October 12, 2016 at 10:36 am by CNA Daily News

Pope pleads for ceasefire amid ‘inhuman conflict’ in Syria 2016-10-12T10:36:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Vatican City, Oct 12, 2016 / 04:36 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Wednesday Pope Francis begged for an end to the terrible conflict in Syria, asking for an immediate ceasefire to allow the evacuation of civilians, especially children.

“I want to emphasize and reiterate my closeness to all victims of the inhuman conflict in Syria. With a sense of urgency I renew my appeal, pleading, with all my strength,” the Pope said at the end of his general audience Oct. 12.

“(May) those responsible ensure arrangements are made for an immediate ceasefire, which is imposed and respected at least for the time necessary to allow the evacuation of civilians, especially children, who are still trapped under the bloody bombing.”

The Pope's comments come amid the backdrop of intensified fighting in Aleppo, with hundreds of children having been killed in airstrikes in recent weeks.

The already dire situation in Syria has only worsened in recent days and weeks as an attempted ceasefire collapsed and other diplomacies failed. Less than two weeks ago, hundreds of airstrikes left neighborhoods in rebel-held eastern Aleppo battered, killing an estimated 100 people and leaving at least 50 more, including children, trapped under the rubble.

The recent use of so-called bunker-busting bombs, which weigh about a ton and can blast through two meters of underground, reinforced concrete have only added to the horror and destruction in the past few days.

A humanitarian truce, called for by the United Nations and brokered this month by the United States and Russia, fell apart less than a week after its institution after U.S. forces struck a Syrian position killing dozens of soldiers, though the move was reportedly unintentional.

The Syrian civil war, which began in March 2011, has claimed the lives of between and estimated 280,000 and 470,000 people, and forced 4.8 million to become refugees, about half of them children. Another 8 million Syrians are believed to have been internally displaced by the violence.

In his catechesis, the Pope focused on both the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, as found in the Gospels, emphasizing that it is through these small works that people can change the world.

“The works of mercy awaken in us the need and the ability to make a living and active faith with charity. I am convinced that these simple everyday actions can make a real cultural revolution, as it was in the past,” he said.

The Church has a “preferential love for the weakest,” Francis said, emphasizing that it is often those who are closest to us who need our help the most. But it doesn’t have to be through complicated or “superhuman gestures.”

“It is best to start from the most simple,” he said, adding that the Lord shows us what is “most urgent.”

In a world “unfortunately stricken with the virus of indifference,” Pope Francis said the works of mercy “are the best antidote.”

“How then can we be witnesses of mercy?” he asked, noting how “Jesus says that every time we feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty, clothe a naked person and welcome a stranger, visit a sick person or someone in prison, we do it to Him.”

And the spiritual works of mercy are equally important to the corporal especially today, Francis said, “because they touch the soul and often make people suffer more.”

“‘Bear wrongs patiently.’ It might seem like a minor thing, which makes us smile, but instead it contains a feeling of deep love,” he said.

“And so also for the other six, which it is good to remember: to counsel the doubtful, to teach the ignorant, to admonish sinners, to comfort the afflicted, to forgive offenses, to pray to God for the living and for the dead.”

Promising to focus on these in his next catechesis, Francis explained that these spiritual and corporal works of mercy are given to us by the Church as a concrete way to live out compassion.

“Over the centuries, many simple people have put them into practice,” such as the newly canonized St. Teresa of Calcutta.

Her works of mercy, the Pope said, “are the traits of the face of Jesus Christ who takes care of his younger siblings to bring everyone the tenderness and closeness of God,” something we should all try to put into practice.

At the audience, Pope Francis also spoke about the Oct. 13 International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction, asking for everyone to protect “our common home, promoting a culture of prevention” in order to reduce the risk to the most vulnerable among us.

These natural disasters could be avoided or limited, he said, since their effects “are often due to environmental care deficiencies on the part of man.”

Vatican

Previous Post

October 12, 2016

Did you know there's a third party based on Catholic teaching?

Next Post

October 12, 2016 Priest to donate $250k winnings from 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which book contains a prophecy about locust swarms devastating the land?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Joel Hosea Micah Obadiah