WASHINGTON, JULY 19, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The U.S. bishops’ conference released a statement today, calling on the U.S. government to exert greater leadership in ending the Middle East conflict.
The statement expresses solidarity with the Palestinian people and the peoples of Israel and Lebanon, but “appeals to all leaders in the region and to the leaders of our nation to make it clear that violence, from whatever side, for whatever purpose, cannot bring a lasting or just peace in the Land we call Holy.”
The bishops ask their home nation to “exert greater leadership with all parties to the conflicts and to work more intensively and multilaterally to end the provocations and violence, to secure a ceasefire, to restrain Israel, to move toward negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians to bring about security for Israel and a viable state for the Palestinians, and to ensure the independence of Lebanon.”
The bishops further say that “the recurrent cycles of deadly violence endanger the stability of Lebanon and undermine those brave people on both sides who seek a just two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“The sadly recurring and predictable cycles of violent provocation by extremist elements and some disproportionate responses not only take human lives, but they damage the hopes of Israelis for security, of Palestinians for a viable and free state, and of Lebanese for a future of peace, true independence and prosperity.”
The conference’s statement ends, saying the bishops join their “prayers with those of our Holy Father who said about the current crisis: ‘Let us pray to Mary, Queen of Peace, to implore from God the fundamental gift of concord, bringing political leaders back to the path of reason, and opening new possibilities of dialogue and agreement.'”
