Pope Francis deplores deadly Syrian attack

Pope Francis on Sunday condemned the suspected chemical attack in Syria's rebel-held town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta that killed several civilians.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the pope closed the Sunday Mass at St. Peter's Square by saying, "There is no such thing as a good war and a bad war. Nothing, but nothing, can justify the use of such instruments of extermination on defenseless people and populations,"

He further prayed for the deceased, wounded and the families who suffered because of the attack.

The Pope also called for all military and political leaders to choose a path of negotiations to bring peace rather than choosing one that leads to death and destruction.

At least 50 people were killed in the air strike carried out on the town in the early hours of the day. The strike is suspected to be a chemical attack, but the Syrian government denied the allegations saying it was fabricated by the rebels who were in a state of decline.