ROME — Pope Francis called for an end to armed violence in Afghanistan Sunday, urging Christians to pray for peace in the country.
“I join in the unanimous concern for the situation in Afghanistan,” the pope told pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter’s Square for his weekly Angelus message.
“I ask all of you to pray with me to the God of peace so that the clamour of weapons might cease and solutions can be found at the table of dialogue,” he continued. “Only thus can the battered population of that country — men, women, elderly and children — return to their own homes, and live in peace and security, in total mutual respect.”
Taliban forces have reportedly seized more and more territory in the Islamic republic as the Biden administration reduces the U.S. military presence in the country. They have conquered large swathes of land, including multiple provincial capitals and the historic capital of Kandahar.
Last Thursday, the Pentagon announced it would deploy three infantry battalions to assist with the reduction of American civilians at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, and the evacuation of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants from the country.
The UK government has also sent hundreds of soldiers back into Afghanistan to help evacuate some 4,000 people with British citizenship who are still in the nation.
“I have authorised the deployment of additional military personnel to support the diplomatic presence in Kabul, assist British nationals to leave the country and support the relocation of former Afghan staff who risked their lives serving alongside us,” said Ben Wallace, British Secretary of State for Defense.
“The security of British nationals, British military personnel and former Afghan staff is our first priority. We must do everything we can to ensure their safety,” he said.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.