VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict said in an annual peace message on Tuesday that countries have a duty to respect international humanitarian law even if they are at war.
In the first peace message of his pontificate, he also appealed for worldwide nuclear disarmament and said countries considering acquiring such weapons should ``change their course.''
In the message for the Church's World Day of Peace, celebrated on January 1, he also strongly condemned terrorism but said the world community should look deeper into its political, social, cultural, religious and ideological motivations.
In one part of the message, which is sent to heads of state and international organizations, the Pope said war could not be an excuse for disregarding international humanitarian law.
``The truth of peace must also let its beneficial light shine even amid the tragedy of war,'' he said, re-enforcing his stand by quoting from another Vatican document that said ``not everything automatically becomes permissible between hostile parties once war has regrettably commenced.''
In the 12-page message, called ``In Truth, Peace,'' he said the Holy See was convinced international humanitarian law had to be respected ``even in the midst of war.''
The Pope did not name any countries or wars but his words followed controversy over reports of abuse of prisoners by the United States in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay.
The reports have incensed U.S. adversaries and alienated some allies. Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice came under pressure in Europe over reports of secret CIA prisons on the continent.
Cardinal Renato Martino, head of the Vatican's Justice and Peace department, told reporters at the presentation of the message that the Pope's words applied to all wars. Asked if Iraq was included, he said: ``That's correct.''
TRUTH IN LAW
In his message, the Pope called international humanitarian law one of the finest expressions of truth.
``Precisely for this reason, respect for that law must be considered binding on all peoples,'' he said.
International humanitarian law ``must be brought up to date by precise norms applicable to the changing scenarios of today's armed conflicts and the use of ever newer and more sophisticated weapons,'' he added.
Washington says the Geneva Convention does not apply to foreign captives in its war on terrorism, but human rights activists say it is still bound by the 1984 U.N. Convention against Torture to which it is a signatory.
Asked if the Pope was singling out the United States for condemnation, Martino said: ``The Holy Father states this and is not condemning anybody but is inviting them to observe the Geneva Convention.''
President George W. Bush has said the United States does not practice torture, or send suspects to countries that do.
Asked if the Church could condone torture as a means to stop terrorist attacks, Martino said: ``Torture is a humiliation of the human person, whoever he is. The Church does not admit it ... there are other means to make people talk.''
Last week a group of American Roman Catholic peace activists held a march to the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo, Cuba, protesting conditions for terrorism suspects.
In another part of the message, the Pope said the
possession of nuclear weapons by any country for security was
''not only baneful but also completely fallacious'' because there
would be no winners in a nuclear war.
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