Pope Deeply Worried by International Situation

 Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday that he is «deeply worried» by the international situation and warned the world against nationalist conflicts amid continuing high tensions between Russia and the West over Georgia. Speaking after his traditional Sunday prayer, Pope Benedict didn't mention the Georgia crisis specifically but said the world must avoid «a return to nationalistic confrontations that have caused such tragic consequences throughout history. » The Pope said that «recent events have weakened in many, the belief that such experiences were definitively confined to the past. » The pope also said that «fair and transparent negotiations» should be used to solve controversies «tied to territorial integrity and self-determination. » Georgia and Russia fought a short war over the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which are backed by Moscow in their quest for independence. «Violence must be rejected,» Pope Benedict told a crowd of faithful and tourists gathered at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome. The pope said countries must «reject the temptation to deal with new situations with old methods. » He urged faithful to pray that the international community and its leaders will restore peace. It was the third consecutive Sunday that Benedict focused on the Georgian crisis. Pope Benedict XVI then said he is praying for the 154 victims of Wednesday's plane crash in Madrid and their families. Following a traditional Sunday prayer, the Pope expressed «closeness and continuous prayers» for those who died. The Pope spoke this to a crowd of faithful and tourists gathered at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, outside Rome. He made his comments on the tragedy in Spanish while addressing groups of pilgrims from Spain.