NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- The Holy See has issued a clear and blunt condemnation of American "aggression" against Iraq.

      In a statement published December 17, the Vatican said that the missile strikes undertaken by the US should be "stopped as soon as possible," so that "international order may be restored."

      The statement disclosed that the Holy See had already filed a protest against the military action with the Secretary General of the United Nations, and added that this was "a sad day" for the UN and for the world.

      When he was informed about the missile strikes, Pope John Paul II immediately appealed to all leaders of the international community to work for peaceful solutions to the conflicts in the Middle East, and especially in Iraq.

      As he accepted the diplomatic credentials of several new ambassadors (from Guyana, Nigeria, Kirghizstan, and Mongolia) this morning, the Holy Father said he was "alarmed" by the news from Iraq. He said that the need to find peaceful solutions "is more urgent than ever."