Pope John Paul renewed his appeal today for an end to Israel’s siege of Beirut and also appealed to all sides in the conflict to respect cease-fire agreements and to reach an agreement on a way to end the plight of the Lebanese civilian population.
Addressing crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his weekly prayer, the pontiff said “We renew our prayers for our brothers in the Lebanese capital of Beirut (where) the population is suffering under bombardments. The prolonging of the siege increases the threat of hunger and disease and makes the suffering of the victims even worse. Hopes, delusions and fears have followed each other in the last days of uncertainly and suffering, which have already gone on too long.”
In his previous reference to Lebanon on July 7, the Pope called for a solution that would encompass Lebanese national unity, Justice for the Palestinians and both security and peace for all the parties involved in the conflict.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
