Pope: 'Mideast conflicts show no sign of abating'

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Pope urges rejection of religious violence; worries about mounting terrorism Pope Benedict XVI urged Tuesday that all religious leaders "utterly refuse" to support any form of violence in the name of faith, but expressed worry that the risks of more conflicts and terrorism were growing in the Middle East and elsewhere. Benedict, speaking to diplomats in the Turkish capital, said "recent developments in terrorism and in certain regional conflicts" highlight the need for strong and effective international efforts, including peacekeeping forces in violence-wracked places such as Lebanon. But he noted that the "disturbing" conflicts across the Middle East show "no sign of abating and weighs heavily on the whole of international life."