Pope Rat laments continual slaughter in Iraq

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

Hash: SHA1

Pope Rat laments continual slaughter in Iraq

Via NY Transfer News Collective All the News that Doesn't Fit

AP via Yahoo - Apr 8, 2007

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070408/ap_on_re_eu/vatican_easter

Pope laments 'slaughter' in Iraq

By FRANCES D'EMILIO

VATICAN CITY - In his Easter message on Christianity's most joyous day, Pope

Benedict XVI on Sunday decried suffering in the world, lamenting the

"continual slaughter" in Iraq and expressing worry over unrest and

instability in Afghanistan.

"In the Middle East, besides some signs of hope in the dialogue between

Israel and the Palestine Authority, nothing positive comes from Iraq, torn

apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees," Benedict told

tens of thousands of faithful in St. Peter's Square.

Delivering his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" Easter address from the central

balcony of St. Peter's Basilica as tens of thousands of pilgrims and

tourists listened in the square, the pontiff noted "how many wounds, how

much suffering there is in the world."

Benedict read out a litany of troubling current events, saying he was

thinking of the "terrorism and kidnapping of people, of the thousand faces

of violence which some people attempt to justify in the name of religion, of

contempt for life, of the violation of human rights and the exploitation of

persons."

He singled out what he called the "catastrophic, and sad to say,

underestimated, humanitarian situation" in Darfur as well as other African

places of suffering, including violence and looting in Congo, fighting in

Somalia -- which, he said, drove away the prospect of peace -- and the

"grievous crisis" in Zimbabwe, marked by crackdowns on dissidents, a

disastrous economy and severe corruption.

Benedict said only a negotiated solution could end the drawn-out, bloody

conflict in Sri Lanka, and said East Timor needs reconciliation ahead of

elections.

Earlier he celebrated Easter Sunday Mass on the flower-adorned steps of St.

Peter's Basilica.

The voices of Choir boys rang across the square. Wearing gold-colored

vestments, the pope gripped a slender, silver crucifix as clerics sprinkled

incense across the steps. The altar area was ablaze with color -- red

tulips, orange tiger lilies and yellow broom plants were among the flowers

delivered from the Netherlands -- and at the end of the service the pope

thanked the Dutch for the gift.

Benedict ended his appearance by giving Easter greetings in dozens of

languages, including Arabic and Hebrew, and giving the crowd his apostolic

blessing.

The Vatican said that TV outlets in 67 countries had arranged satellite

links for the Easter service.

The boulevard leading from the Tiber River to the square was filled with

numerous languages and tourists, toting backpacks and wearing hats against

the sunshine, headed toward the Mass site.

After Sunday's events, Benedict heads to the papal summer residence at

Castel Gandolfo, in the Alban Hills south of Rome, for a few days of rest.

When he returns to Rome, Benedict has two important dates on his calendar:

his 80th birthday on April 16, and the second anniversary of his election as

pope three days later.

Copyright