Rome  - Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday called for protection and assistance to ease the suffering of civilian in Sri Lanka who were caught in the conflict between rebels and government troops.

The head of the Catholic Church, in his Angelus address at St Peter's Square in Rome, again called for peace and reconciliation in the South Asian country.

Benedict, who concluded a trip to the Holy Land Friday, also called on Christians, Muslims and Jews to build a future of peace and justice. The Middle East had become a symbol of divisions and an unwillingness to bring never-ending conflict among brothers to an end. (dpa)