Addressing world leaders as well as terrorists, Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II urged a renewed respect for international law Tuesday, saying it was the only way to achieve peace in the world and guarantee against the arbitrary use of force.
In his annual peace message, the pope said the fight against terrorism must not merely punish the perpetrators, but also eliminate the underlying reasons for why they attack: social injustice and a lack of respect for human life.
John Paul did not mention the United States by name or cite its war against terrorism in the document, which was released ahead of the World Day of Peace, which the church celebrates Jan. 1.
But his message appeared aimed at the U.S. anti-terrorism campaign — and in particular at Washington's pre-emptive war in Iraq, which was launched without the specific authorization of the United Nations.
"In this task of teaching peace, there is a particularly urgent need to lead individuals and peoples to respect the international order and to respect the commitments assumed by the authorities which legitimately represent them," John Paul wrote.
"Peace and international law are closely linked to each other: law favors peace."
John Paul was a vocal critic of the Iraq war, dispatching envoys to Washington and Baghdad to try to prevent hostilities from breaking out and exhorting world leaders that war wasn't inevitable and was "always a defeat for humanity."
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, he also spoke out frequently against terrorism and stressed that religion must never be used as a pretext for violence.
The pope addressed his 2004 peace message to world leaders as well as to men and women "tempted to turn to unacceptable means of terrorism and thus compromise at its root the very cause for which you are fighting."
In the 15-page document, he outlined the history of international law, culminating with the creation of the United Nations and its charter, which states when military force can legitimately be used against countries.
"From the very dawn of civilization, developing human communities sought to establish agreements and pacts which would avoid the arbitrary use of force and enable them to seek a peaceful solution of any controversies which might arise," he wrote.
He acknowledged that international law as currently written concerns relations between countries, and is thus hard pressed to deal with today's threats of terrorism and violence spawned by rebel groups. As a result, he called for a reform of the United Nations and for new legal treaties to confront terrorism.