Pope Francis sent a letter to the G-20 leaders on Thursday, urging them to avoid a "futile pursuit" of military action in Syria, the Sacramento Bee reported.
In the letter sent to G-20 host, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Francis said he envisions a continuation of the "senseless massacre" in Syria if "one-sided interests" triumph, blocking any sort of diplomatic solution and end to the crisis.
"To the leaders present, to each and every one, I make a heartfelt appeal for them to help find ways to overcome the conflicting positions and to lay aside the futile pursuit of a military solution," Francis wrote as the G-20 began in St. Petersburg on Thursday.
Francis will host a peace vigil in St. Peter's Square on Saturday and has made several calls for peace since the U.S. and other Western countries have threatened to strike Syria, following the chemical weapons attack on Aug. 21 near Damascus.
The Vatican invited ambassadors of the Holy See to collectively establish a position on Syria. The Vatican's foreign minister, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, said the chemical weapons attack created "horror and concern" around the world.
"Confronted with similar acts one cannot remain silent, and the Holy See hopes that the competent institutions make clear what happened and that those responsible face justice," Mamberti said to the ambassadors.
Mamberti did not reference threats from other countries to strike Syria for the gas attack, but he did say the priority of the ambassadors gathering was to stop the violence which risked involving other countries, creating "unforeseeable consequences in various parts of the world."
He also said the Vatican is asking for a focus on dialogue and wants to avoid Syria becoming divided by ethnic and religious lines. Minorities, including Christians, should be guaranteed basic rights and be free to practice their religion. With the fear of a possible world war, Vatican officials are afraid Chrisitians in the region could be in grave danger.
Mamberti also said avoiding a strike would help countries "openly and clearly oppose terrorism," referring to fighters linked to Al-Qaeda that are fighting against Assad's regime.
