Below the text of the intervention presented by Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald,
Delegate of the Holy See to the League of Arab States, at the Friends of the Syrian
People meeting held April 1st in Istanbul,
Turkey.
Excellencies, Distinguished Participants,
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Holy See at this
Second Meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People. Since the first meeting, held
in Tunis, the situation can hardly be said to have improved. Indeed there has been
a most alarming increase in violence, with an indiscriminate use of force which has
not spared inhabited areas, bringing about loss of lives among civilians and considerable
damage to property. Therefore the appeal made by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, on
Sunday 12 February, well before the meeting in Tunis, is unfortunately still relevant.
His Holiness called for “an end to all violence and bloodshed”. I wish to repeat that
appeal here, for the logic of violence, where violence begets further violence, is
to be avoided at all costs. It is never too late to refrain from violence!
The
victims of this violence must not be forgotten. The Holy See expresses its solidarity
with them. Pope Benedict mentioned that he was remembering these victims in prayer,
not only those who have lost their lives, including young children, but also “the
injured and all those who are suffering the consequences of an ever more worrying
conflict”. It is imperative that humanitarian aid reach all those in need and, for
this, immediate access without restrictions must be assured. For this purpose cooperation
with humanitarian organisations, both local and international, is absolutely necessary.
I am happy to announce that the Holy See is making a financial contribution to this
humanitarian aid.
Since the meeting in Tunis a ray of hope has come from the
mission entrusted by the UN and the League of Arab States to former Secretary General
of the UN Kofi Annan. This mission can build on Syria’s long history of peaceful coexistence
among her diverse religious and ethnic communities. Syrians share the same common
values of dignity and justice for all regardless of creed or ethnicity. It is important
therefore that the Syrian people should not lose sight of this heritage in trying
to satisfy the legitimate aspirations of the different members of the nation. In this
context respect for all places of worship takes on great significance.
Syria,
no less than any other nation, is a member of the family of nations, and so the international
community is right to be concerned for the peace and stability of the region. The
Holy See remains convinced that regional and multilateral organisations are an important
instrument in promoting peace and stability in the world, an instrument which is ever
more valuable in times of crisis, and for that reason I renew the appeal of Pope Benedict
XVI to the Syrian people “to give priority to the way of dialogue, of reconciliation
and of the commitment to peace”.