In the Pope’s annual Christmas message “To the City and the World.” Pope Benedict XVI prayed for peace in Syria, reconciliation in Myanmar, and comfort in flood-stricken Thailand and the Philippines. CNN has the rest of the details…
Addressing a packed St. Peter’s Square on a glorious sunny day, the pope pleaded with God to “bring an end to the violence in Syria, where so much blood has already been shed.”
More than 5,000 people have died in Syria since President Bashar al-Assad began a brutal crackdown in mid-March on anti-government protesters calling for his ouster, the United Nations said earlier this month.
In his Christmas morning speech, Benedict also urged the international community to help those suffering hunger and insecurity in the Horn of Africa, a reference to famine and violence in Somalia and Kenya.
The pope’s reference to the Philippines came as the death toll from flooding there last week topped 1,000, with more than 1,000 more missing.
He also prayed for peace and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, and in Iraq, Afghanistan and South Sudan, and wished “renewed vigor” to those striving for the common good across the Arab world after this year’s revolutions.
The speech, called “Urbi et Orbi” in Latin, came a day after the pope delivered a homily that focused on the “essence” of the holiday rather than the “commercial celebration” it has become.
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SOURCE: [CNN]
