Pope Benedict XVI said on Thursday said that military action cannot resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reaffirmed his opposition to violence.In a wide-ranging address to Vatican diplomats, he reiterated his previous calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and the resumption of peace talks.
The pontiff also said it is crucial that political leaders who can work for reconciliation emerge in forthcoming elections. Israel is scheduled to hold a general election on 10 February.
"Military options are no solution. Violence, where it comes from and in whatever form it takes, must be firmly condemned," said Benedict.
"I express my hope that, with the decisive commitment of the international community, the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will be re-established."
He described such a ceasefire as "an indispensable condition for restoring acceptable living conditions to the population and said he hoped peace talks would resume "with the rejection of hatred, acts of provocation and the use of arms."
"It is very important that, in view of the crucial elections which will involve many of the inhabitants of the region in coming months, leaders will emerge who can decisively carry forward this process and guide their people towards the difficult yet indispensable reconciliation.
Israel says its 13-day old offensive in Gaza is aimed at stopping Hamas rocket fire. Nearly 700 Palestinians have died in the attacks and around 3,000 have been wounded.
Seven Israeli soldiers and four Israeli civilians have been killed since the operation began.
Pope Benedict XVI has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and has encouraged the resumption of peace talks.
While no official date has been set for Pope Benedict's visit to the Holy Land, Vatican officials have begun advance plans, and hinted that the pontiff was likely to visit Israel, Jordan and the West Bank in May.
The Pope's visit seemed in doubt on Thursday after Israeli officials expressed outrage over a statement made on Wednesday by Cardinal Renato Martino.
Martino, head of the Vatican Council for Justice and Peace compared Gaza to a "big concentration camp".
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce
(Source: AKI)