VATICAN CITY, OCT. 21, 2011 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican responded to Thursday's news of the death of Libya's dictator with a statement expressing the hope that Libyans will be spared further violence.

The note, released late Thursday, said the news of the dictator's death "marks the end of a much too long and tragic phase of a brutal struggle to bring down a harsh and oppressive regime."

The statement emphasized that "this dramatic event" leads to reflection on "the immense toll of human suffering which accompanies the affirmation and collapse of any system which is not based on the respect and dignity of the human person, but rather on the prevailing affirmation of power."

The Vatican urged the international community to be generous in assisting Libya to rebuild and it also noted its own first contacts with the new leaders.

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Full text: www.zenit.org/article-33710?l=english