“War brings only death and destruction,” Pope Francis warned after he prayed the midday Angelus on the feast of the Epiphany.
Without referring to any specific countries, the pope said there is a “terrible air of tension” in many parts of the world right now.
“I call upon all parties to fan the flame of dialogue and self-control, and to banish the shadow of enmity,” he said.
The pope then invited everyone to pray in silence for a moment for this intention.
In Baghdad
Meanwhile, Vatican News reported that the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, Cardinal Louis Rafaël Sako, archbishop of Baghdad, on Saturday expressed the Iraqi people’s shock at the situation in the region.
“It is deplorable that our country should be transformed into a place where scores are settled, rather than being a sovereign nation, capable of protecting its own land, its own wealth, its own citizens.”
He also called on all nations to exercise moderation, act reasonably, and sit down to seek understanding.
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