US Bishops Respond to Counterattack on Taliban and Bin Laden

VATICAN, Oct 9, 01 (FIDES/CWNews.com) - The American bishops participating in a worldwide Synod of Bishops issued a statement on October 9, saying that the US military response to terrorism was justified as long as it was carefully limited and directed at terrorists and their sponsors.

The American bishops' statement, released in Rome, was signed by Cardinals Edward Egan of New York, William Keeler of Baltimore, and Francis George of Chicago, as well as Bishops Joseph Fiorenza and Wilton Gregory-- the president and vice-president, respectively, of the US bishops' conference. It emphasized that the US military strikes have been, and should be, "directed at those who use terror as well as those who assist them, not at the Afghan people or Islam." The bishops asked for "continued prayer, resolve, and restraint," and in particular "prayers for our President and national leaders, for our servicemen and women, and for all those touched by those terrorist attacks."

Cardinal George, in a separate interview with a Portuguese radio station, pointed out that governments have an obligation "to protect the lives of their citizens." At times military action is required, he said, in order to accomplish that goal. He went on to voice the hope that once the threat of terrorism has subsided, the American people might "reflect more deeply on the manner in which we are taking action in the world."

Patriarch Michel Sabbah of Jerusalem also called for a general reappraisal of international policy. "These are very confusing days-- days of renewed violence, difficult days that force us to reflect on the problems of relations among peoples." He suggested that the situation called for "the great powers to revise the criteria according to which they govern the world," so that international policies might be based on "respect for the human dignity of persons and peoples."

Catholic World News Briefs
9. oktober 2001

av Webmaster publisert 10.10.2001, sist endret 10.10.2001 - 11:10