Vatican envoy renews plea for peace in Syria

September 17, 2012

The Vatican’s representative at UN offices in Geneva has made a new plea for peace in Syria, arguing especially that innocent people and especially children should be saved from the consequences of the escalating violence.

Speaking at a session of the UN’s human-rights council, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi said that humanitarian aid to people displaced by the fighting in Syria should be a top international priority. He called attention to reports that as many as 30,000 people have already died in the Syrian conflict, and over 1 million have been drive from their homes. “ It is appropriate that this Council should adopt the perspective of the victims,” he said.

Perhaps indirectly addressing complaints that the Vatican has been unduly favorable to the Assad regime, Archbishop Tomasi said that the "Arab Spring" demonstrations "stemmed from the deep desire, especially of younger people, for greater freedom, better employment, a real participation in public life." He decried attempts to "frustrate these aspirations through the manipulation of power and forms of control."

 

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Further information:

• Vatican: Make Syria’s children a priority (Vatican Radio)