Archbishop Zenari: the international community must not remain silent before the cry
of innocent victims in Syria
(Vatican Radio) Echoing Pope Francis’ heartfelt appeal to the International Community
to do everything in its power to help Syria find a solution to the ongoing conflict,
Archbishop Mario Zenari, apostolic nuncio in Syria said the international community
has the responsibility to respond to the crisis.
Speaking to Vatican Radio,
Archbishop Zenari commented on the terrible attacks of the past days that caused the
death of so many innocent people.
listen to Linda Bordoni's report...
Seeing those
terrible images that have shocked us all, he says – “I heard the cry of the children,
those innocent victims, a cry to heaven and cry to the international community: we
cannot remain silent before this cry of theirs, of this appeal”.
And Archbishop
Zenari says that his prayer is that “those who have responsibility in this field -
the international community, its leaders – be endowed with wisdom and with prudence”.
We must make sure – he continues “that crimes such as these do not ever happening
again - never again! And he underlined his belief that the international community
must do everything possible to prevent massacres like this and to find the most suitable
and most appropriate means to not further complicate the situation.
Asked whether
he has any information regarding the use of chemical weapons, Archbishop Zenari says
this kind of thing is not part of his field of expertise, and he stresses that it
is the responsibility to verify and establish the truth. He also expresses his hope
for collaboration on the part of local authorities and all the parties involved in
conflict, so that an investigation may be set up.
Archbishop Zenari points
out that since the beginning of this conflict, two and a half years ago, the innocent
population has being paying the highest price. About a year ago – he says – “when
the sounds of war made themselves felt here in Damascus, I had the impression that
Syria was starting its descent into hell. Today, after the latest facts, we are wondering
whether we have reached the bottom of this abyss”.