Pope appeals to US, Iran to pursue dialogue, self-restraint – Catholic Herald
Catholic Herald
  • Home
  • Cover Story
  • Editorial
  • Archbishopric
  • News
    • Vatican News
  • Homily
  • Kids &Teens
  • Gallery
No Result
View All Result
Catholic Herald
No Result
View All Result
Home Uncategorized

Pope appeals to US, Iran to pursue dialogue, self-restraint

by admin
February 16, 2020
in Uncategorized
0
491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Pope Francis on Thursday urged

the U.S. and Iran to avoid es-
calation and pursue “dialogue

and self-restraint” to avert a
wider conflict in the Middle East.

The Pope’s appeal was his first di-
rect comment on the current crisis in

a yearly speech that has come to be

known as his “State of the World” ad-
dress to ambassadors accredited to the

Vatican.
Speaking for nearly 50 minutes in
the Vatican’s frescoed Sala Regia, the

83-year-old Roman Catholic leader of-
fered a mostly grim overview of 2019,

speaking of wars, global warming, xen-
ophobia toward migrants and the dan-
ger of nuclear weapons.

“Particularly troubling are the sig-
nals coming from the entire region

following the heightening of tensions
between Iran and the U.S.,” Francis
told the diplomats from more than 180
states.

He said the tensions risked “com-
promising the gradual process of re-
building in Iraq, as well as setting the

groundwork for a vaster conflict that
all of us would want to avert”.

“I, therefore, renew my appeal that all

the interested parties avoid an escala-
tion of the conflict and keep alive the

flame of dialogue and self-restraint,
in full respect of international law,” he
said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has
suggested Iran was “standing down”
after it fired missiles at U.S. forces in

Iraq on Wednesday, itself an act of re-
taliation for the Jan. 3 U.S. strike that

killed Iranian commander Qassem
Soleimani.
“Our human family is scarred and

wounded by a succession of increasing-
ly destructive wars that especially affect

the poor and those most vulnerable,”
Francis said.

“Sadly, the New Year does not seem
to be marked by encouraging signs, as
much as by heightened tensions and
acts of violence,” he said.
Recent tensions could likely make
it impossible for Francis to visit Iraq,
which he has said he would like to do
this year.

Wars and conflicts have led to an ex-
odus of Christians from Iraq and some

other countries in the Middle East.
Iraq’s small Christian population of
several hundred thousand suffered
particular hardships when Islamic

State controlled large parts of the coun-
try, but have recovered freedoms since

the jihadists were pushed out.

Iraq is home to many different east-
ern rite churches, both Catholic and

Orthodox.
Francis said he still hoped to make
a visit this year to mostly Christian
South Sudan, which is emerging from
civil war.
The pope wove his speech around the
foreign trips he made in 2019, which
included a visit to Abu Dhabi in the
United Arab Emirates.
There, he became the first pontiff to
set foot on the Arabian peninsula.
Speaking of climate change, he said
it was sad that the urgency to tackle it

“seems not to have been grasped by in-
ternational politics”.

He said last December’s UN confer-
ence in Spain raised “serious concern

about the will of the international com-
munity to confront” the issue.

Share196Tweet123Share49
admin

admin

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

The 12 Articles of the Creed

June 14, 2021

Examination malpractices: Who is to blame?

July 10, 2021

Keep it short and simple

July 10, 2021

Agenda for in-coming Lagos State Governor

0

Fathers And The Omugwo Train

0

Married Pentecostal Pastor Set To Become Catholic Priest

0

UNACCEPTABLE! Archbishop Martins kicks against ethnic profiling, sues for peace, tolerance

March 27, 2023

Aguleri: New Diocese, new Bishop

March 27, 2023

Archdiocese of Onitsha gives birth to the Diocese of Aguleri

March 27, 2023
Catholic Herald

© 2023 | Xebrian

Navigate Site

  • Home
  • Mixed Grill
  • Interview Section
  • Spirituality
  • Sports
  • Health
  • Technology
  • Gallery
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Cover Story
  • Editorial
  • Archbishopric
  • News
    • Vatican News
  • Homily
    • Spirituality
  • Mixed Grill
  • Interview Section
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Health
  • Kids &Teens
  • Gallery
  • Contact

© 2023 | Xebrian