War never again, says Pope on Syria

Vatican City, Sep 3 (IANS/AKI) Pope Francis has urged an end to all wars and condemned the suspected use of chemical weapons in Syria.

"War never again! Never again war!" Francis wrote on microblogging website Twitter.

The Pope Sunday deplored the suspected use of chemical weapons in Syria at the weekly papal appearance in St. Peter's Square.

"My heart is deeply wounded by what is happening in Syria and anguished by the dramatic developments," on the horizon, the Pope said.

He referred to the possible military intervention by the US and France to punish the Syrian government over the alleged chemical weapons attack against civilians in Damascus last month.

"With utmost firmness, I condemn the use of chemical weapons. I tell you that those terrible images from recent days are burned into my mind and heart," the Pope said.

"Never has the use of violence brought peace in its wake. War begets war, violence begets violence," Francis added.

"I exhort the international community to make every effort to promote clear proposals for peace in that country without further delay, a peace based on dialogue and negotiation, for the good of the entire Syrian people," Pope concluded.

A top Vatican official Monday said a military attack on Syria by western powers could cause "a war of global dimensions".

"The way to solve Syria's problems cannot be that of armed intervention," Monsignor Mario Toso, head of the Vatican's justice and peace council, told Vatican Radio.

"The conflict is a powder keg primed to explode into a war of global dimensions. Violence never leads to peace - war engenders war, " Toso said.

"The only way forward is reason and initiatives based on dialogue and negotiation... which are possible if there is mutual respect and love," he added.

--IANS/AKI

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