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Church leaders have condemned Friday’s US missile strike in Syria. They say it will only extend the country’s civil war, with Christians being its primary victims.
The Pentagon says the missile strike was a retaliatory move following what appeared to be a chemical attack that killed 80 civilians in Syria’s Idlib province.
While many Catholic leaders, Russia and Syria are strongly against the missile strike, much of the world supports the US.
Syrian Bishop Georges Abou Khazen, Vicar of Aleppo for Latin-rite Catholics, said the US was “reckless” to launch 59 missiles at a Syrian government military base.
It opens “new disturbing scenarios for all,” he said.
He said nobody is listening to Pope Francis, who has always opposed foreign-led military action in Syria.
Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph Younan said the “agglomerate media and the supremacist policy of the USA” want to “kill whatever attempt to resolve the bloody crisis.
“It is a shame the US didn’t wait until an honest United Nations investigation was thoroughly made into what is said to be a chemical air strike in Khan Shaykun,” he added.
The Pentagon has confirmed 59 Tomahawk land attack missiles were launched on Thursday night (US time).
They were sent as a retaliatory move after what appeared to be a chemical attack that killed 80 civilians.
The United States government is convinced that the attack was perpetrated by President Bashar al-Assad. Not everyone agrees this is correct.
Catholic clergy, including the Fransiscan friars in Assisi, Caritas Italy, Pax Christi, the Italian bishops conference and Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, India are dismayed by the US attack.
“Violence is never a victory, no one ever wins. War is a defeat of humanity and doesn’t resolve problems,” said Cardinal Angelo Comastri.
Comastri is the Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica and Vicar General for the Vatican City State.
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