Pope John Paul has called on the international community to send aid swiftly to help Afghan refugees.
He said innocent lives should be spared and called on the international community to provide rapid and effective aid to the numerous refugees who are exposed to deprivation of every type as bad weather approaches.
The Pope was addressing pilgrims and tourists in his regular weekly address.
The US-led bombardment of Afghanistan has caused deep concern in the Catholic Church and although the Pope has not criticised Washington for launching the attacks, he has appealed on a number of occasions for peace in the region.