Pope John Paul II, speaking during his traditional Easter Sunday Urbi et Orbi address, yesterday called on Yugoslavia to open up a humanitarian corridor so that aid can be transported to refugees gathered on the Kosovo border.
Speaking to 10,000 people in St Peter's Square, the Pope said that the Easter message of peace, faith and hope contained in the resurrection of Jesus Christ had difficulty making itself heard against the background of war in the Balkans:
"How can this Easter message of peace and hope be heard when sadness and tears abound in the world . . . when whole peoples are forced to flee from their homes, when men and women are put to flight and when homes are being burned, when the skies are violently rent with the sounds of war, when missiles rain down on households and the destructive fire of bombs devours cities and villages. Enough, stop this cruel spilling of human blood . . ."
The Pope called on Yugoslavia to permit a humanitarian corridor, saying: "On this Holy Day, I feel it is my duty to make a direct appeal to the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia imploring them to allow the opening up of a humanitarian corridor, thus making it possible for aid to be taken to those poor peoples gathered on the Kosovo border . . ."
Throughout the Kosovo crisis, the Vatican has repeatedly called on the international community to use diplomatic rather than military means to end hostilities, condemning both the NATO bombardments and the ethnic cleansing policies being pursued in Kosovo by the Yugoslav President, Mr Slobodan Milosevic.
In a further attempt to promote a political solution to the Kosovo crisis, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, on Saturday met with Italian Prime Minister, Mr Massimo D'Alema, and the Foreign Minister, Mr Lamberto Dini.
Cardinal Tauran reported on his unsuccessful peace mission to Yugoslavia on Friday while Mr Dini reported on his contacts the same day with the US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, and EU foreign ministers.