Pontiff Prays for Peace in Balkans
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VATICAN CITY — Pope John Paul II on Friday celebrated World Peace Day with special prayers for a solution to the conflict in the former Yugoslavia.
He also condemned violence in Africa and the Middle East.
“The threat of nuclear destruction may have receded, but the blessings of peace have not yet established themselves everywhere,” he said at a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.
“Sadly, on our continent and especially in the Balkan region, the spread of destructive war and violence has not subsided. Can Europe distance itself from this situation and not feel challenged by it?”
The 72-year-old pontiff, leader of the world’s 950 million Roman Catholics, is leading a two-day vigil for peace Jan. 9 and 10 in Assisi, city of St. Francis.
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