Sep 7, 2013

Pope Francis led Catholics worldwide in a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, urging world leaders to remove their nations from a “spiral of sorrow and death.” In a five-hour prayer vigil in Vatican City, Francis reminded worshippers that “violence and war lead only to death.”

Meanwhile, demonstrations in Lebanon against a possible U.S. military intervention in Syria intensified. As U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with European leaders to look for international support of U.S. action, protests in D.C., New York and Paris sprung up on Saturday.

: Pope Francis leads a mass in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican on September 7, 2013. Pope Francis has called for a global day of fasting and prayer on Saturday for peace in Syria and against any armed intervention. (Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images)

: Pope Francis delivers a speech as he presides over a mass vigil for prayer for peace in Syria, in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican, on September 7, 2013. Pope Francis called for the world to unite today in a day of fasting and prayer for Syria. (Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images)

: People pray during a vigil in the Sacre-Coeur Basilica in Paris on September 7, 2013. Pope Francis called for a global day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria and against any armed intervention on Saturday, and led a five-hour vigil in Saint Peter’s Square. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images)

: People pray during a vigil in the Sacre-Coeur Basilica in Paris on September 7, 2013. Pope Francis called for a global day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria and against any armed intervention on Saturday, and led a five-hour vigil in Saint Peter’s Square. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images)

: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius (right) hold a news conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris September 7, 2013. U.S. President Barack Obama has made no decisions about waiting for a U.N. weapons inspectors’ report on chemical arms use in Syria and he is keeping all his options open, Kerry said on Saturday. (Susan Walsh/Pool/Reuters)

: A French policeman holds his automatic weapon as he secures U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s arrival at the Quai d’Orsay Foreign Ministry for a meeting with French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius in Paris September 7, 2013. (Jacky Naegelen/Reuters)

: A Syrian girl (left) and an Iranian girl hold signs outside the Rayburn House office building across from the .U.S Capitol in Washington during a demonstration against U.S. intervention in Syria on September 7, 2013. European Union foreign ministers on Saturday urged “a clear and strong response” to an alleged Syria chemical weapons attack while stopping short of endorsing a strike on the Damascus regime. Speaking after the bloc’s 28 ministers held talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry, the EU’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton read out a statement saying the ministers “were unanimous in condemning in the strongest terms this horrific attack.” (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)

: People march past the U.S. Capitol in Washington against U.S. intervention in Syria on September 7, 2013. European Union foreign ministers on Saturday urged “a clear and strong response” to an alleged Syria chemical weapons attack while stopping short of endorsing a strike on the Damascus regime. Speaking after the bloc’s 28 ministers held talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry, the EU’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton read out a statement saying the ministers “were unenimous in condemning in the strongest terms this horrific attack.” (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)

: Protesters, including one wearing a Syrian flag, walk past a family of tourists as they rally against proposed U.S. military action in Syria in front of the White House in Washington, September 7, 2013. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

: People march past the U.S. Capitol in Washington against US. intervention in Syria on September 7, 2013. European Union foreign ministers on Saturday urged “a clear and strong response” to an alleged Syria chemical weapons attack while stopping short of endorsing a strike on the Damascus regime. Speaking after the bloc’s 28 ministers held talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry, the EU’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton read out a statement saying the ministers “were unenimous in condemning in the strongest terms this horrific attack.” (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)

: Philippine protesters hold anti-U.S. placards and light candles during a prayer-vigil in Manila on September 7, 2013. The protesters said the U.S. should keep out of that country while presenting flowers and lighted candles in a “peace sign for Syria.” (Jay Directo/AFP/Getty Images)

: Syrian women light candles before attending mass in the Catholic Patriarchate in Damascus, September 7, 2013. Pope Francis has urged the international community to join in a special day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria on Saturday. (Khaled al Hariri/Reuters)

: A woman holds up a sign during mass in the Catholic Patriarchate in Damascus, September 7, 2013. Pope Francis has urged the international community to join in a special day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria on Saturday. (Khaled al Hariri/Reuters)

: A general view shows a mosque next to a church at the Bab Sharqi gate in Damascus, September 7, 2013. Pope Francis has urged the international community to join in a special day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria on Saturday. (Khaled al Hariri/Reuters)

: People hold a big peace flag in front of the St Francis basilica in Assisi on September 7, 2013. Pope Francis called for the world to unite on Saturday in a day of fasting and prayer for Syria and said “God and history” would judge anyone using chemical weapons. (Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images)

: Supporters of Syrian regime burn a banner with a Star of David during a demonstration against a possible US military strike on Syria on September 7, 2013 in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon. (Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP/Getty Images)

: An activist with a Syrian flag drawn on her face attends a sit-in near the U.S. embassy in Awkar, north of Beirut, against potential U.S. strikes on Syria September 7, 2013. U.S. officials ordered non-emergency personnel and their family members out of Lebanon on Friday “due to threats,” the U.S. embassy in Beirut said in a statement. (Hasan Shaaban/Reuters)

: A protester holds a poster burning on which is depicted former U.S. president George W. Bush taking off a mask of current President Barack Obama during a demonstration of supporters of Syrian regime near the U.S. embassy, east of Beirut against a possible U.S. military strike on Syria on September 7, 2013. Obama is pressing Congress to approve military action against the Syrian regime in response to an alleged August 21 attack with chemical weapons. (Anwar Amro/AFP/Getty Images)

: Lebanese army soldiers install barbed wire to close a road leading to the U.S. embassy in Awkar, north of Beirut, before a protest against potential U.S. strikes on Syria, September 7, 2013. U.S. officials ordered non-emergency personnel and their family members out of Lebanon on Friday “due to threats,” the U.S. embassy in Beirut said in a statement. (Hasan Shaaban/Reuters)

: Pope Francis (second left) presides over the mass vigil for prayer for peace in Syria in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican, on September 7 2013. Pope Francis called for the world to unite today in a day of fasting and prayer for Syria. (Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images)

: Pakistani Shiite Muslims march in a protest rally in Karachi on September 7, 2013, against possible U.S. strikes against Syria. (Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images)

: Demonstrators take part in a rally on Times Square September 7, 2013 in New York City. Organizers expect nationwide demonstrations against any U.S. military action in Syria after the reported use of chemical weapons. (Ramin Talaie/Getty Images)

Pope, in Syria peace appeal, calls for end to spiral of death
Philip Pullella, Reuters
September 7, 2013

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – A sombre-looking Pope Francis made an impassioned appeal to avert a widening of Syria’s conflict on Saturday, urging world leaders to pull humanity out of a “spiral of sorrow and death”.

Francis, who two days ago branded a military solution in Syria “a futile pursuit”, led the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics in a global day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria, the Middle East and the world.

“Violence and war lead only to death, they speak of death! Violence and war are the language of death!” Francis said at the midpoint of a five-hour prayer service before tens of thousands of people in St Peter’s Square.

The United States and France are considering military action against Damascus to punish President Bashar al-Assad for a chemical weapons attack on August 21 that killed hundreds of people. Assad’s government denies it was responsible.

The service was punctuated by music, prayer, the reciting of the rosary and long periods of silence in which the participants were asked to meditate on the need for peace to vanquish the destruction of war.

2 Comments

SJose
Sep 09, 2013 @ 03:21:55

Dear Diane,

Very sane thoughts from you. Makes perfect sense. Wish your war mongering leaders read your comments, and what majority of the world thinks of the credibility of “US Intelligence” which is a cover to please few politicians who want to show US hegemony. As a nation which is successful in all fields, most of the world, even haters, love USA. It is because of the the free spirit, work culture, technological prowess, and openess of American society built in the mold of Liberty. However, many are are not providing their open support, despite the afforesaid, because of US hypocrizy. Say, when they proclaim freedom and human rights, US has its biggest allies in the region notorious for basic human right violation to the geatest extent, and they are keep mum on those.

Diane Whitney
Sep 08, 2013 @ 15:35:28

I am usually a supporter of the President, but our country’s long history in the Middle East has been less than exemplary. I am uncertain about the “intelligence” on the gas incident, as many Americans are. It raises a lot of questions, especially, when you recall Iraq using chemical weapons against the Kurd (that was horrific) and the Shiite in the south. We did nothing then, and where did Saddam get these weapons? In Egypt it looks like the military coup and release of Mubarak is the undoing of democracy in that country. It is a little like what happen in Iran when we obliged Britain and put the Shah in to govern Iran after we deposed their elected leader. We as a nation are war weary, and tired of supporting tyrants. We will destroy more innocents if we are allowed to do this. This Syrian civil war has destroyed so much. I don’t approve of Assad, he is much like his father, who killed many of his own people as a lesson for others thinking of rebelling.I truly do not think Assad is so stupid as to use chemical weapons and bring world opinion down on him. I think it is a contrived action on the part of the opposition to get the US involved and it is surely a trap!! We cannot afford more war in the Middle East, we cannot take care of ourselves. We will only create more enemies and hatred. We need to stand for integrity. Go through the UN, be patient. Find out the truth and let the countries of the world be on board.

Prayers, protests against military action in Syria

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