Scottish Catholic Observer

Pope Francis yesterday said that the quest for peace in the Middle East ‘requires patience and perseverance’.

In his weekly Angelus at St Peter’s Square, the Pope used the Parable of the ‘King who went to war’ in that day’s Gospel to describe ordinary Christians’ struggle with living holy lives.

His message however, also referred to ongoing wars in the Middle East and the prospect of Western military intervention in Syria.

“What’s the point of fighting wars, many wars, if you’re not capable of fighting this deep war against evil?” the Pope said. “This means saying no to fratricidal hatred, and to the lies it uses; saying no to violence in all its forms; saying no to the proliferation of arms and their sale on the black market.”

Casting doubt on motives of previous wars in the Middle East such as the 2003 Iraq invasion, the Pope called on leaders to be ‘united and coherent, following no other interests but those of peace and of the common good’.

His message followed a Vigil of Prayer and Fasting held on Saturday night, where Catholics joined other Christian and religious communities in the Vatican and around the world to remember Syria.

After thanking participants and civil authorities for their support, the Pope called on Catholics to continue praying for Syria and its neighbours.

“Let us pray also for Lebanon, that it may find its hoped-for stability and continue to be a model of peaceful coexistence,” the Pope said. “That sectarian violence [in Iraq] may give way to reconciliation; and that the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians may proceed with determination and courage.”

“Finally, let us pray for Egypt, that all Egyptians, Muslims and Christians may commit themselves to build up together a society dedicated to the good of the whole population.”