Pope makes urgent appeal for peace in Syria
The Pope has appealed once more for peace in Syria, in the wake of airstrikes on rebel-held areas in East Aleppo, home to some 250,000 trapped civilians.
"Dramatic news continues to reach me concerning the fate of the people of Aleppo, with whom, through prayer and spiritual closeness, I feel united in suffering," Pope Francis said today (Wednesday, September 28) at his General Audience.
Protecting civilians in Aleppo an "already battered city - where children, the elderly, the sick, young and old, all are dying" was "urgent," the Pope stressed and "an obligation".
Departing from his prepared text, the Holy Father then made a direct appeal to those directly responsible for the bombing, saying they would be "accountable to God" for their actions.
The rebel-held quarters of Aleppo have been heavily bombed since the collapse of the cease-fire last week.