Pope Francis: 10th anniversary of Syrian war must spur peace efforts

After a visit to Iraq, Pope Francis calls on warring parties to 'show a sign of good will'

Pope Francis led a prayer for Syria during his weekly blessing and message at St Peter's Square on March 14, 2021. EPA

Pope Francis called the Syrian civil war one of the worst humanitarian crises of current times on Sunday, saying its upcoming 10th anniversary should spur all to seek "a sliver of hope" for a devastated nation.

In mid-March 2011, pro-democracy protests developed into a multi-sided conflict that sucked in world powers, killed at least 400,000 people and displaced millions more.

"I renew my heartfelt appeal so that all sides in the conflict show a sign of good will so that a sliver of hope can open up for the worn-out population," Francis told several hundred people in St Peter's Square for his weekly blessing and message.

Syria had seen "every type of violence and enormous suffering by the population, particularly the most vulnerable, such as children, women and the elderly", said the Pope, who returned last Monday from a trip to neighbouring Iraq.

He also called for a "decisive" commitment by the international community to end fighting and help reconstruction and economic recovery.

He then led the crowd in prayer for the "beloved and martyred Syria."