21 April, 2006
In his first Easter message as pontiff of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his hope that Palestinians would one day have their own state alongside Israel, whose right to exist he reaffirmed. Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, Benedict said: "I also pray sincerely that those caught up in the conflict in the Holy Land may find peace, and I invite all to patient and persevering dialogue, so as to remove both ancient and new obstacles." In his general audience on Wednesday, the Pope also strongly condemned the suicide attack two days earlier in which a Palestinian suicide bomber killed nine people and wounded 60 outside a Tel Aviv restaurant. The pontiff stressed that the legitimate interests of a people could not be defended by such terrible acts, adding: "I feel it is my duty to express the strongest condemnation for such a terrorist attack."
The Pope also urged the nations of the world to use diplomacy to defuse crises over nuclear proliferation: "May an honorable solution be found for all parties, through serious and honest negotiations." This year's Easter celebrations also marked the first anniversary of Benedict's election as the new head of the Catholic Church.
