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Pope laments world's suffering
By ASOCIATED PRESS
Published April 9, 2007
VATICAN CITY - On Christianity's most joyous day, Pope Benedict XVI decried the "continual slaughter" in Iraq and unrest in Afghanistan as he denounced violence in the name of religion. In his message for Easter, Benedict said the world's suffering puts faith to the test. "How many wounds, how much suffering there is in the world," the pontiff told tens of thousands gathered Sunday at St. Peter's Square. Benedict, delivering his traditional Easter address from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, denounced terrorism and kidnappings, and "the thousand faces of violence which some people attempt to justify in the name of religion," as well as human rights violations. "Afghanistan is marked by growing unrest and instability," Benedict said. "In the Middle East, besides some signs of hope in the dialogue between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, unfortunately, nothing positive comes from Iraq, torn apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees." He also had harsh words about the "underestimated humanitarian situation" in Darfur as well as other African places of suffering. "Suffering, evil, injustice, death, especially when it strikes the innocent such as children who are victims of war and terrorism, of sickness and hunger, does not all of this put our faith to the test?" Online To read the Vatican's official English-language translation of Pope Benedict XVI's "Urbi et Orbi" Easter Day address, go to links.tampabay.com.
[Last modified April 9, 2007, 01:26:04]
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