“May beloved Syria at last recover respect for the dignity of every person through a shared commitment to rebuild the fabric of society, without regard for ethnic and religious membership.”

"If I speak of Islamic violence, I must speak of Catholic violence... and no, not all Muslims are violent, not all Catholics are violent. It is like a fruit salad; there's everything."

"May no one use religion as a pretext for actions against human dignity and against ... the right to life and the right to religious freedom!"

Pontiff warns of urgent need to promote a dialogue of life with Muslims to discourage violence against Christians.