Pope says only dialogue can end strife in Syria

[David__77]

Pope Francis and Jordan’s king stressed on Thursday that dialogue and negotiations are the only way for ending Syria’s civil war, the Vatican said.

Days earlier, Francis had said that the use of arms won’t resolve the civil war in Syrian where so far has killed over 100,000 people.

Vatican said in a statement after the meeting that the “path of dialogue and of negotiation among all components of Syrian society, with the support of the international community, is the only option to put an end to the conflict and to the violence, which, every day, cause the loss of so many human lives, above all among the defenseless population.”

Jordan’s King Abdullah II, whose country borders Syria and has been hosting over half a million Syrian refugees, called for a “comprehensive solution to end the suffering of the Syrian people, safeguard the unity of the Syrian people and land and prevent the region from falling into the abyss,” Jordan’s royal court said in a statement.

...

http://www.tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/world-news/item/20372-pope-says-only-dialogue-can-end-strife-in-syria.html

[ucrdem]

1. Thanks, caught something about this on the car radio

and was hoping someone would post a link. Glad he said what I thought he said.

[David__77]

2. I am very concerned for Syrian Christians.

And, unfortunately, I believe that some on this site might think that any concern specifically aimed at Syria's Christians is misplaced.

Iraq has lost most of its Christians since 2003. Many cities in Syria have been emptied of Christians. Qusayr, when it was controlled by insurgents, was purged of Christians, who were able and have returned to their homes since the army reclaimed it. US policy must consider the plight of the Syrian Christians, a targeted minority. I think that the Pope is cognizant of this concern, and it is reflected in the official Catholic media.

I am not a Catholic, but am impressed with this Pope apparent return to Catholic social doctrine. He is no leftist, but is neither a rightist.

[Scootaloo]

3. He's a definite improvement over Ratfucker

But truth is, a Hindu fence post (reincarnation is a bitch sometimes!) would have been a better Pope than that guy.

[David__77]

4. Ratfucker, I like that.

I think I have sentimentality since I was raised Catholic. My expectations for this new one were low, so I'm probably deluded in thinking some sort of "Vatican III" is on the way...

[ucrdem]

5. Benny railed against the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and issued anti-war statements

and look what happened to Benny. I've always wondered if there was a connection. Not many were listening, but he harped on it a lot, particularly in his first years. Then there was that business about a misinterpreted statement, and demonstrations in Islamic nations, and he piped down a little. But he brought it up every Christmas and Easter sermon which are the only ones I caught regularly.

[David__77]

8. Good point.

It seems to me that Catholic ecumenism toward Muslim entities has been too one-sided. Islamic authorities (scholars, imams, etc.) would ideally reciprocate these ecumenical efforts. That would require explicitly surrendering and repudiating the concept of jihad.

[ucrdem]

11. Right, I'd forgotten what started that dust up.

My strong suspicion at the time was that the whole business was orchestrated or at least exaggerated in the media:

Remarks by Pope Prompt Muslim Outrage, Protests


Muslims shout slogans during a protest rally against the Pope in Jammu, India. A growing chorus of Muslim leaders have called on the Pope to apologize for the alleged derogatory comments he made about Islam.

By Anthony Shadid | Washington Post Foreign Service | Saturday, September 16, 2006

BEIRUT, Sept. 15 -- A medieval reference in an academic lecture by Pope Benedict XVI unleashed a wave of denunciations, outrage and frustration across the Muslim world Friday, with officials in Turkey and Pakistan condemning the pontiff, Islamic activist groups organizing protests and a leading religious figure in Lebanon demanding that he personally apologize. . . .

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/15/AR2006091500800.html

'Natural' might be the wrong word here but there's an affinity between Islamic and Catholic religions that I think some find worrisome. So efforts have been made to create friction. Or at least that was my impression of the demonstrations against Benedict which seemed to me convenient to the Bush-Cheney admin.

[ucrdem]

7. Egypt too.

It's a real tragedy.

[jsr]

6. Meddlesome priest

Wussy peace purist.

[Alamuti Lotus]

9. consider the context--the same King hosted the war chiefs from the usual suspects last weekend

there's suspiciously "peace purist" statements flowing out of Amman at the moment now that Pope PR Statement is there, but last week the air was filled with the cigar smoke from most of the forces plotting the escalation of that aforementioned abyss.

[Scootaloo]

10. Well, that's how Hussein rolls.

His is the most fragile position in the middle east. He's surrounded by more powerful nations with better international connections. The only way for him to work this situation is to take a turn on each team, then try to triangulate a middle point htey all have in common, and claim it for himself so that he looks like a well-placed and invaluable arbiter.

He's no hero, but he's not a stupid guy.