"The fights between the Palestinian sides in the Gaza Strip and the rockets launched against the inhabitants of the nearby Israeli cities, which have been responded to with armed intervention, are deteriorating the situation, which is appalling". Benedict XVI, after saying the Regina Caeli from Saint Peter’s Square yesterday morning, spoke again about the tragic escalation of war in the Middle East: "Once again, in the name of God, I beg that this tragic violence may be ended, while I wish to express my sympathetic closeness to the worn-out Palestinian and Israeli populations and ensure them of my prayer and thought". "I appeal added the Pope to the sense of responsibility of all the Palestinian Authorities, so that through dialogue and with determination they may resume the tiring process of finding agreement and thwart the violent ones. I ask the Israeli Government to be moderate and I urge the international community to make more efforts to promote the resumption of negotiations. May the Lord awaken and support the peace operators!" In his final greetings, the Holy Father addressed, among others, the "over one thousand boys and girls from the archdiocese of Genoa, who received or are going to receive Holy Confirmation, headed by archbishop Angelo Bagnasco". The group included card. Tarcisio Bertone, the former archbishop of the Ligurian archdiocese.
