Pope urges action against terrorism

Pope urges action against terrorism

VATICAN: Denouncing a growing scourge of terrorism, Pope John
Paul II urged on Saturday political action to combat terror
attacks, contending that "brutal measures" of repression alone
were not sufficient.

Accepting the credentials of the new Indonesian ambassador to
the Holy See, Pope John Paul said that cooperation for the peace
and well-being of people at all levels of society had become a
"task of unprecedented importance as the entire human family
seeks effective means to counteract international terrorism".

"There is no question that this baneful scourge has grown more
virulent in recent years, generating brutal measures that serve
only to exacerbate a difficult situation, increase tensions and
erode possibilities for peace among peoples and nations," the
pope said.

"Despite the contempt for human life that such terrorist
attacks represent, our response must never be one of hatred or
revenge. Nor are measures that are nearly punitive or repressive
sufficient," the pontiff said.

"The fight against terrorism must also be conducted at the
level of politics and education," John Paul said. "Political
mobilization is needed to eliminate the underlying causes of
situations of social injustice that can drive people to actions
of desperation and violence."

Recalling the 2002 bombings in Indonesia, the pope told the
ambassador that the "deep shock felt worldwide 15 months ago when
a terrorist bomb exploded in Bali still remains very much present
in the mind and heart of the international community". AP