Pope grieves at the massacre in Houla

May 29, 2012: The recent massacre in Houla, Syria, where more than one hundred people, including many children, lost their lives, has distressed and deeply grieved Pope Benedict XVI, the entire Catholic community as well as the international community, which has unanimously condemned the incident, said Vatican spokesperson, Fr. Federico Lombardi, in a statement on Tuesday.

In renewing its call for the cessation of all forms of violence, the Holy See urges the parties concerned and the international community to spare no effort to resolve the crisis through dialogue and reconciliation. The leaders and believers of different religions too, through prayer and mutual collaboration, are called to make great efforts to promote the longed-for peace, for the good of the whole population, the statement added.

Meanwhile the Joint United Nations and Arab League special envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, said on Monday he was “horrified” by the gruesome weekend massacre and called on `every individual with a gun'' to lay down arms and stop the killing. The attack prompted the International Committee for the Red Cross to reissue an appeal to both sides of the conflict to avoid civilian casualties.