Pope appeals for peace in Iraq
Iraq-Vatican, Politics, 3/18/2008

Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday denounced the US-led 5-year Iraqi war appealing for peace in the country. "Enough with the slaughters. Enough with the violence. Enough with the hatred in Iraq," Benedict said to applause at the end of Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square.

On Thursday, the body of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho was found near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, from where he had been abducted on February 29. No one has claimed responsibility.

Benedict has called Rahho's death an "inhuman act of violence" that offended human dignity.

Benedict praised Rahho for his loyalty to Christ and refusal to abandon his flock despite many threats and difficulties.

He recalled that Rahho's death came as the Catholic Church opened Holy Week, the most solemn week in the liturgical calendar, in which the faithful recall the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

Benedict said Rahho's dedication to the Church and his death compelled him to "raise a strong and sorrowful cry" to denounce the violence in Iraq spawned by the war that he said had destroyed civilian life.

"At the same time, I make an appeal to the Iraqi people, who for the past five years have borne the consequences of a war that provoked the breakup of their civil and social life," Benedict said.

He urged them to raise their heads and reconstruct their life through "reconciliation, forgiveness, justice and coexistence among tribal, ethnic and religious groups." The Vatican strongly opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq. Last year, he urged US President George W. Bush to keep the safety of Iraqi Christians in mind.

Benedict is due to preside over a memorial service at the Vatican on Monday in honor of Rahho. Typically, the pope only presides over such services when a cardinal dies.

The pontiff's appeal for peace came at the end of his Palm Sunday Mass. Over the next week, Benedict will preside over the Good Friday re-enactment of Christ's crucifixion and death and the celebration of Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday.

In his homily, Benedict urged the faithful to follow God with the innocence and purity of a child's heart. "To recognize God, we must abandon the pride that dazzles us, that seeks to push us away from God," he said.

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