Martino calls on UN to act in the Middle East

Rome, Italy, Jul 17, 2006 / 22:00 pm

Cardinal Renato Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, strongly urged the United Nations to get involved in settling the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

The Cardinal told Vatican Radio yesterday that greater international involvement on the part of the international community would help the world not to loose hope that a peaceful solution can be found.

“Today we must recall the United Nation’s sense of mission…to maintain peace and stability in every possible way.”

“No conflict can be considered at just a local level,” the cardinal said, “due to the implications it has on human order, political and economic.  This is why its important for our world to be conscious of these and to work harder to help our brothers in the middle east for a common of destiny of peace.”

Father Justo Lacunza, Director of the Pontifical Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies, also called on the international community to action, especially against terrorist forces in the middle east.

“I think the international community has perhaps to do less talking and more acting,” Fr. Lacunza said of the terrorism problem, “I think too much and too many of the problems of the middle east are left in the hands of politicians.”

“The acts of terrorism undermine relations between states, between nations, between peoples.  Terrorism is the plague of our modern age - particularly when it is performed in the name of religion.”