ASIA/SYRIA - The Bishops of Aleppo, forced to give up the meeting with the Pope and launch an appeal to Benedict XVI for a ceasefire and reconciliation

Aleppo (Agenzia Fides) - Aleppo has been in the middle of armed clashes between the rebels and the Syrian army for more than two months. The Council of the six Catholic Bishops of the second largest city of Syria had to give up going to the meeting with the Pope in Lebanon to stay close to their faithful. But the city devastated by the conflict launched an appeal to Benedict XVI, asking the Pope to call the international community to the urgency of finding a peaceful solution and to put an end to a conflict "that is destroying the Country and sowing misery and desolation everywhere."
In their appeal, sent to Fides Agency, the Bishops of Aleppo (greek-Catholic, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Maronite, Chaldean and Latin) pray Benedict XVI to submit to the leaders of nations and international bodies two requests: "Demanding that they permanently cease the fighting on Syrian land", and then "encourage and support the parties in conflict in order for them to reach an effective and serious dialogue in view of national reconciliation."
The Bishops of Aleppo describe the condition experienced by the Syrian people in anguished terms: "The Country is destroyed, the number of victims multiplies, and the injured increase day by day. Many homes are destroyed, and the poor see their resources decrease gradually. All this precipitates families in a state of despair and pushes many of them to emigrate."
The appeal ends with gratitude to Benedict XVI "for all the initiatives You take at the service of peace", and with the hope "that your voice reaches the ears of the peoples and reaches those who have the power to decide" . (GV) (Agenzia Fides 14/09/2012).