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“Grim
sound of arms” in Lanka worries Pope
Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday lamented the “grim sound of arms”
in the world’s conflict zones from Sudan to Sri Lanka and especially
the volatile Middle East, in his Christmas message.
“On this day of peace, my thoughts turn especially to those
places where the grim sound of arms continues to reverberate,”
he said, emphasising “the whole of the Middle East -- especially
Iraq, Lebanon and the Holy Land.”
Benedict also singled out Darfur, Somalia, the north of the Democratic
Republic of Congo, the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia, Afghanistan,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Balkans and “many other crisis situations
that unfortunately are frequently forgotten.”
The 80-year-old pontiff, speaking from the loggia of St Peter’s
Basilica, prayed that political leaders would find “the wisdom
and courage to seek and find humane, just and lasting solutions.”
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