Pope Pleads for Peace in Syria

In his annual Christmas message, Pope Benedict XVI made a plea for an end to the violence in Syria. “I appeal for an end to the bloodshed, easier access for relief of refugees and the displaced,” he said, condemning the crisis as “a conflict that does not spare even the defenseless and reaps innocent victims.” He prayed for peace in Nigeria, denouncing the “savage acts of terrorism” targeting Christians there. During his Christmas Eve mass, the pope encouraged all to “find time and room for God in their fast-paced lives.”