Pope says Syria, Libya agreements raise hopes of peace

Pope Francis welcomed on Sunday two agreements aimed at ending the civil war in Syria and forming a national unity government in Libya.

Francis, who turned 79 on Thursday, told crowds around the Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square he was thinking of “beloved Syria (and) expressing my eager approval of the agreement the international community has just reached.”

The United Nations Security Council veto powers agreed a draft resolution last week to endorse an international roadmap for a peace process in Syria, where almost five years of civil war has killed more than 250,000 people.

The Argentine pontiff called for continued peace efforts for Syria and praised the work of negotiators in Libya, where warring factions signed a U.N.-brokered deal on Thursday intended to bring stability and help to combat a growing ISIS presence.

“The commitment to form a national unity government, taken on recently by those involved, encourages hope for the future,” Francis said.