Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI called Saturday on Christians and others touched by his words to mobilize against the widening warfare in the Middle East, saying no good comes out of war, not even for the victors.
Benedict pressed his campaign for a rapid peaceful solution to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon during an interview with German media to be broadcast in Germany on Aug. 13.
"We want to appeal to Christians and to all those who feel in some way touched by the words of the Holy See so that all the forces which recognize that war is the worst solution for everybody are mobilized," the pontiff said, according to the Vatican release of one of his answers.
War "doesn't bring any good for anybody, not even for the apparent victors," Benedict said, according to the Vatican. "We know that well in Europe, following two World Wars."
Since the fighting erupted in mid-July, Benedict has made repeated pleas to end the hostilities.
Israel and its chief ally, the United States, have resisted such peace calls, saying efforts must be made for a "durable" settlement.
At his public audience Wednesday, Benedict said nothing could justify the spilling of innocent blood on any side.
Benedict has spoken out on the issue on every public occasion since the fighting began three weeks ago, reminiscent of his predecessor, the late Pope John Paul II, who, in using the moral voice of the Vatican, became a rallying figure for critics of the Iraq war.