|
|
 |
|
CNS Story:
|
BISHOPS-IRAQ (UPDATED) Nov-16-2006 (760 words) With photos posted Nov. 13. xxxn
Bishops urge nonpartisan talks on 'responsible transition' in Iraq
By Nancy Frazier O'Brien
Catholic News Service
BALTIMORE (CNS) -- In a statement endorsed by the full body of bishops gathered in Baltimore, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called for a "substantive, civil and nonpartisan discussion" leading to "a responsible transition in Iraq."
"We hope our nation has moved beyond the divisive rhetoric of the recent campaign and the shrill and shallow debate that distorts reality and reduces the options to 'cut and run' versus 'stay the course,'" Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., said in the statement.
The four-page document was prepared by the USCCB Committee on International Policy in collaboration with the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services and the USCCB Administrative Committee, which approved its addition to the agenda of the bishops' fall general meeting Nov. 11.
In a letter to his fellow bishops less than a month before the meeting, Bishop John M. Botean of the Romanian Diocese of St. George in Canton, Ohio, said the "most pressing need" facing the conference was "to address publicly the moral issue of the war in Iraq."
"I am concerned that the quality of our witness to the sanctity of human life is being compromised, and that so much silence in the face of so much destruction of human life (in Iraq) is undermining our conference's and the church's prior and consistent prophetic witness for a culture of life and against a culture of abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia and death," he wrote Oct. 18.
The bishops approved release of the statement in Bishop Skylstad's name in a voice vote Nov. 13. The same day, President George W. Bush met with a 10-member, bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which is charged with making recommendations to change the direction of the war in Iraq.
The statement expressed hope that the Iraq Study Group would "help bring about the honest dialogue that our nation needs."
"The administration and the new Congress need to engage in a collaborative dialogue that honestly assesses the situation in Iraq, acknowledges past difficulties and miscalculations, recognizes and builds on positive advances (e.g., broad participation in elections), and reaches agreement on concrete steps to address the serious challenges that lie ahead," Bishop Skylstad said.
The statement said the bishops were concerned about the welfare of "our military personnel in Iraq, their families and the suffering people of Iraq," and especially for "the deteriorating situation of Christians and other religious minorities" there.
U.S. military forces "should remain in Iraq only as long as their presence contributes to a responsible transition," the bishops added. "Our nation should look for effective ways to end their deployment at the earliest possible opportunity consistent with this goal."
Bishop Skylstad listed certain "basic benchmarks for a responsible transition in Iraq," including an end to "wanton killings, indefensible terrorist attacks and sectarian violence"; economic reconstruction that creates jobs and economic opportunity for Iraqis; and the development of political solutions "that advance stability, political participation and respect for religious freedom and basic human rights."
"Ultimately, this work must be done by Iraqis, but the United States and its coalition partners have a moral obligation to continue and intensify efforts with Iraqis, other countries in the region and the international community toward achieving these benchmarks," he said.
The statement called on U.S. Catholics "to pray daily for the safety of those who honorably serve our nation and for their families," as well as for "the Iraqi people, who have suffered so greatly under a brutal dictator and now face continuing violence, instability and deprivation."
At a Nov. 13 press conference after the bishops endorsed the statement, Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando, Fla., said its central message was "that the search for genuine justice and peace in Iraq requires moral urgency, substantive dialogue and new directions." The USCCB Committee on International Policy, which he chairs, prepared the statement.
During the morning of the first day of the bishops' meeting in Baltimore, several bishops commented on the Iraq statement, with some offering suggestions that were incorporated into the text that afternoon. No one spoke against the statement.
Retired Archbishop Philip M. Hannan of New Orleans said he thought the statement should include "some call to the Western nations that are not getting involved" in Iraq.
"The business of taking care of terrorism is not simply a difficulty of the United States," he said. "We saved Western Europe on two occasions -- World War I and World War II -- and now they are not doing their duty at all."
END
Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250
|
|
|
|
