Pope Francis on Friday regretted the various conflicts going on in many countries of the world leading to killings, destruction of places of worship and millions of displaced persons.
He called for more concerted efforts to stem the tide.
The pontiff made his position known in an address he delivered to the 70th United Nations General Assembly holding in New York.
That was the fifth time a Pope will be visiting the UN. World leaders, including President Muhammadu Buhari, attended the event.
Pope Francis repeated his appeal that peace should be allowed to reign in troubled parts of the world including the Middle East and Africa.
He noted that in conflict situations, there are always individuals who weep and suffer.
He said the victims are easily discarded when the only response by the international community is to draw up lists of problems and strategies.
The Pope added, While regretting to have to do so, I must renew my repeated appeals regarding to the painful situation of the entire Middle East, North Africa and other African countries, where Christians, together with other cultural or ethnic groups, and even members of the majority religion who have no desire to be caught up in hatred and folly, have been forced to witness the destruction of their places of worship, their cultural and religious heritage, their houses and property, and have faced the alternative either of fleeing or of paying for their adhesion to good and to peace by their own lives, or by enslavement.
“These realities should serve as a grave summons to an examination of conscience on the part of those charged with the conduct of international affairs.
“Not only in cases of religious or cultural persecution, but in every situation of conflict, as in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Libya, South Sudan and the Great Lakes region, real human beings take precedence over partisan interests, however legitimate the latter may be.
“In wars and conflicts there are individual persons, our brothers and sisters, men and women, young and old, boys and girls who weep, suffer and die.
“Human beings who are easily discarded when our only response is to draw up lists of problems, strategies and disagreements.”
Pope Francis added that the most basic understanding of human dignity compelled the international community to do all that it could to stop and to prevent further systematic violence against ethnic and religious minorities and to protect innocent peoples.
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