Holy See’s spokesman sees promise in Arab countries unrest

(February 28, 2011) Despite the grief and concern caused by violence in the movement for greater democracy in various Arab countries, the changes taking place are "promising," says a Vatican official. Speaking on Vatican television’s ‘Octava Dies’ weekly programme, the Holy See’s spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said that the West should offer help without however interfering in these political changes. The Jesuit priest acknowledged that the political turmoil in the Arab countries - particularly in Libya - is, of course, a source of great grief for the suffering of the victims and populations, adding that ‘violence makes the job of pacification very difficult." However, Father Lombardi noted, this "great revolution" is seen "with eyes of hope by expert observers as a possible springtime in the Arab world." From the point of view of the Holy See, the spokesman said, "willingness and initiative in addition to due respect are necessary in order to help in a concrete way in the difficult situations that every profound transformation brings along with it, and also friendship and dialogue between peoples and cultures, today more than in the past." He noted two particular aspects of the Arab revolution. He said that the movement spearheaded by young people is linked with a large emigration population in Europe that has a positive idea about human rights, democracy and freedom. Secondly, because of the new possibilities in communication, "many are open to dialogue and desirous of being inserted in the world community."