Chemical genocide: Church leaders rise for Syria

Declare week-long prayers
Sequel to a recent assault in strifetorn Syria, which left over 1,000 persons dead in one fell swoop following a suspected chemical attack, church leaders across the world, led by Catholic’s Pope Francis, have declared a week of intensive prayers for the country.
The prayer sessions had kicked off on Friday, according to Vatican sources. The texts of the prayers, it was learnt, include the story of a six-yearold Syrian girl who was playing hideand- seek with her younger brother when the little boy was shot and killed.
At the cemetery, before the boy’s tomb, his sister cried out to him: “Come out from your hiding spot! I don’t want to play anymore!”
Accounts such as this one, along with thousands of others, and photos, and now especially, the videos from what is presumed to have been an attack of chemical weapons, have also led the international community to call for a change of approach in finding solution to the Syrian crises, after more than two years of conflict.
But as the United States and others consider plans for possible military intervention, Church leaders from Syria, and the Vatican, are reiterating the call for dialogue.
Pope Francis on Thursday met with the king and queen of Jordan, where he remarked, “In regard to the tragic situation in which Syria finds itself, it was reaffirmed that the path of dialogue and negotiation between all components of Syrian society, with the support of the international community, is the only option to put an end to the conflict and to the violence that every day causes the loss of so many human lives, especially amongst the helpless civilian population.”
The US bishops also at the weekend echoed the Vatican’s call for negotiations. In a letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry, the bishops quoted Pope Francis: “It is not conflict that offers prospects of hope for solving problems, but rather the capacity for encounter and dialogue.”
The Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, in their response, similarly said that in spite of the dire situation in Syria, reconciliation initiatives are still viable and should be the top priority for all countries concerned with the crisis.
Also, a statement from Caritas Internationalis, an aid agency described the release of chemical weapons on humans as a “horrific crime,” saying the alleged use of the weapons in Damascus on August 21 highlighted “how catastrophic the humanitarian situation has become.”
Caritas Internationalis’ Secretary-General, Michel Roy, said, “The Syrian people don’t need more bloodshed; they need a quick end to it. They need an immediate truce. Scaling up military intervention by foreign powers will simply widen the war and increase the suffering.
“The last decade bears witness to the tragic consequences of military intervention in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.
“Caritas believes that the only humanitarian solution is a negotiated one. Dialogue can end the war in Syria, safeguard the lives of the people and build a viable future for everyone.
The priority must be to reinvigorate talks in Geneva as the first step towards a ceasefire and a peace deal.” In the same vein, US President Barack Obama spoke at the weekend of “limited and narrow” action in Syria, though he said the decisions are still being weighed. Over a year ago, the president said that the use of chemical weapons would call for a response.