VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis urged concerted international efforts Monday to rebuild trust on the Korean peninsula and in Syria, using his annual foreign policy address to demand that political leaders put the dignity of their people before war, profit or power.
In a wide-ranging speech to ambassadors from some 185 nations, Francis reaffirmed the need to respect the status quo of Jerusalem and refrain from any initiative that exacerbates hostilities.
Francis didn鈥檛 cite the United States by name, but many elements of his speech could have been read as an implicit appeal to the Trump administration: He called for governments to provide universal health care for all, demanded they respect commitments made in Paris in 2015 to curb global warming, urged them to better integrate migrants and to participate in a 鈥渟erene and wide-ranging debate鈥� on nuclear disarmament.
Speaking on the 100th anniversary of US President Woodrow Wilson鈥檚 proposed League of Nations, Francis said today鈥檚 leaders can learn two lessons from the ashes of World War I: 鈥淭hat victory never means humiliating a defeated foe,鈥� and that war isn鈥檛 deterred by the 鈥渓aw of fear, but rather by the power of calm reason.鈥�
Francis has voiced rising alarm about the threat of nuclear conflict in the Koreas, asserting at a special Vatican nuclear conference in November that there simply is no reason for an atomic arms race and every reason to destroy existing stockpiles. On Monday, he listed the threat of nuclear war on the Korean peninsula at the top of his rundown of global hot spots.
He said it was of 鈥減aramount importance鈥� to support every effort at dialogue 鈥渋n order to find new ways of overcoming the current disputes, increasing mutual trust and ensuring a peaceful future for the Korean people and the entire world.鈥�
He also called for confidence-building measures in Syria and for the international community to facilitate the return of all refugees, particularly Christians who have fled communities that have had a Christian presence since the time of Christ.
He didn鈥檛 refer to the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem, but he cited 鈥渞ecent鈥� tensions in the Holy Land in renewing what he called the Vatican鈥檚 鈥減ressing appeal that every initiative be carefully weighed so as to avoid exacerbating hostilities.鈥� He urged a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians and for Jerusalem鈥檚 status quo to be respected, noting the city is sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims.
Francis鈥� sole mention of his native Latin America was over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Venezuela, where the Holy See had tried 鈥� but failed 鈥� to facilitate talks between the government and the opposition. The Argentine pope said he hoped elections this year in Venezuela would resolve the existing conflicts and give residents hope for the future.
Pope urges efforts to rebuild trust in North Korea, Syria
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