The Vatican announced the contents of the letter to Syrian President after the Syrian news agency SANA had reported the missive
DOMENICO AGASSO JR IACOPO SCARAMUZZI
ROME
End the violence, the peaceful settlement of hostilities. This del’appello the sense addressed by the Pope to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The precise the press room of the Holy See, after that day, the Syrian news agency SANA had given the news of the letter provided it some content. Francis, who sent the letter to the Syrian president by the new cardinal Mario Zenari, apostolic nuncio in the Middle Eastern country, condemned all forms of extremism and terrorism “from anywhere they can come,” and has called for Assad to “be fully respected international humanitarian law regarding the protection of civilians and access to humanitarian aid. ”
“When appointing the Archbishop Mario Zenari in the College of Cardinals, the Holy Father wanted to show a special sign of affection for the beloved Syrian people, so sorely tried in recent years. In a letter sent by the new cardinal, Pope Francis has returned to express his appeal to President Bashar al-Assad and the international community to put an end to the violence and for a peaceful resolution of hostilities, condemning all forms of extremism and terrorism anywhere they can come, and by appealing to the president to be fully complied with international humanitarian law regarding the protection of civilians and access to humanitarian aid. ”
In the afternoon, the Syrian government agency Sana had published some extracts of the text.
The Pope wrote to the news agency, “expressed solidarity with the Syrian people” and underlines “the condemnation of the Vatican to all forms of extremism and terrorism.” In the text published by Sana it was read that the Bishop of Rome asked him to “multiply the efforts of all to end the war in Syria and restore peace.”
Sana made clear that the letter of the Pope was personally delivered to Assad, in Damascus, by the apostolic nuncio in Syria, Cardinal Mario Zenari.
The agency also published a photo of the same Zenari received by Syrian President in the presidential palace in the hills above the Syrian capital.
In the statement of Sana, stated that Assad had complimented Zenari for his recent promotion to cardinal noting that Zenari had remained apostolic nuncio in Syria despite the appointment was something “unprecedented”, something that “confirms the great importance which the Pope grants to Syria and its people. ”
Assad also said, reports the Syrian agency, that “the state and the Syrian people are determined to restore security and stability and is determined to continue the reforms, because this is the best way to achieve this goal (of restore security and stability). ”
Just yesterday Francis again asked for peace for Syria and the commitment of all to protect the population of Aleppo . “Unfortunately, we have become accustomed to war,” he noted with bitterness Pope Bergoglio, the war that “it is a heap of abuse of power and forgery. I appeal to the commitment of all, because they face a choice of civilization: no destruction, yes to peace, yes to the people of Aleppo and Syria. ”
This morning then was spread the Pope’s Message for the World Day of Peace, which the Church celebrates every January 1 : “In 2017, we should strive, through prayer and action – is the papal appeal – to become people who banished from their hearts, by their words and their acts of violence, and build nonviolent community, who take care of the common home. ” Francis stresses that “active and creative nonviolence” helps to build peace while violence “is not the cure for our broken world ‘, crossed by a” third world war to pieces “by massive migration flows and the environmental crisis, and it has the sole effect of ‘trigger reprisals and lethal conflict spirals that bear only a few benefits “warlords”. ”
Meanwhile, the Chaldean bishop of Aleppo, Antoine Audo, informs that there has been a “significant improvement with the advance of government forces and the withdrawal of troops,” despite “some difficulties represented by isolated firefights and explosions that affected negatively on civilians fleeing from one area to another, “and that in this way,” they risk death. ”
The bishop speaks of a “glimmer of new hope in the light of the Syrian army advance, especially at the edge of the neighborhood of al-Shaar. Ever since the Syrian army began to regain control of the security situation – communicate – the optimism began to radiate back into the hearts of citizens who see near a return of the situation in its course and the chance to regain some stability ».
This “would facilitate the freedom of movement of citizens and the entry of humanitarian aid, especially in areas besieged by terrorist militias,” says the Archbishop, whose church is located in the western part of the city controlled by the regime, where “humanitarian aid They come with success ‘, whereas’ in the areas of the operation militias is extremely difficult. ”
The Chaldean Bishop also reminds “the emergency situation where there are hundreds of Christian families forced to flee areas conquered by the armed terrorist gangs”, highlighting how “the life of Christians of any confession in Aleppo is the same for all others, living the same daily problems, are on display at any time to launch rockets that terrorists from areas under their control and periodically have problems in finding foodstuffs, despite the efforts of many associations in bringing aid in all areas. ”
However, “we try to help the Christians, to the extent possible, to persevere and remain in their country, defend it and protect it, to maintain our role as Christians and the original inhabitants of this land and contribute to the reconstruction of our community.” Audo also noted that “we as a Church we can not force you to stay or to go, since the war is still going on and no one knows when it will end.” But “we try to deal with those who stayed at home and offer them a glimmer of hope, maybe in the future we can work out a plan to bring back Christians who were forced to emigrate.”
In addition, “we do not intromettiamo in military affairs, but we pray that these difficulties end up and return stability to our homeland, because this war has been tough for everyone, Christians and Muslims.”
As the international community should “help the Syrian people to return the security in the country, to find a path to a solution and for a dialogue, and not to fuel the fire of war”; everything “requires effort and a continuous struggle for peace.”
http://www.lastampa.it/2016/12/12/vaticaninsider/ita/vaticano/siria-la-lettera-di-francesco-ad-assad-ZCU4YUIN1WFWinrSGJp9nJ/pagina.html
المصدر: The Pope writes to Assad: protect civilians, to respect the right
