"Our First Obligation Is Prayer and
Solidarity"
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20 MARCH 2003 (ZENIT).
Here is a statement on the Iraqi war issued by Bishop Wilton Gregory,
president of the U.S. bishops' conference.
* * *
Statement on War with Iraq
Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory
President
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
March 19, 2003
Our nation is on the brink of war. We worked and prayed and hoped that
war would be avoided. The task now is to work and pray and hope that
war's deadly consequences will be limited, that civilian life will be
protected, that weapons of mass destruction will be eliminated, and that
the people of Iraq soon will enjoy a peace with freedom and justice.
A time for prayer and solidarity
In time of war, our first obligation is prayer and solidarity. We
pray for all those most directly affected by this war: the men and women
who risk their lives in the service of our nation, their families and
loved ones who face such fear and anxiety at this time, and the
chaplains who serve them; the long-suffering people of Iraq, and those
who labor to provide for their humanitarian needs. All of us should do
what we can to reach out in solidarity to all those who will suffer as a
result of this war.
Iraq's obligation to disarm
Since the Gulf War, we have been clear in calling on the Iraqi
leadership to abandon efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction and
to meet its obligations to destroy such weapons. We have also been clear
that the international community must ensure that Iraq complies with its
obligations under UN resolutions. As the Holy Father said last Sunday,
"the political leaders in Baghdad have an urgent duty to cooperate
fully with the international community, to eliminate any motive for
armed intervention."
Deep regret that war was not averted
Our nation's leaders have made the momentous decision to go to war to
address the failure of the Iraqi government to comply completely with
its obligations. We deeply regret that war was not averted. We stand by
the statement of the full body of bishops last November. Our
conference's moral concerns and questions, as well as the call of the
Holy Father to find alternatives to war, are well known and reflect our
prudential judgments about the application of traditional Catholic
teaching on the use of force in this case. We have been particularly
concerned about the precedents that could be set and the possible
consequences of a major war of this type in perhaps the most volatile
region of the world. Echoing the Holy Father's admonition that war
"is always a defeat for humanity," we have prayed and urged
that peaceful means be pursued to disarm Iraq under UN auspices.
The decisions being made about Iraq and the war on terrorism could have
historic implications for the use of force, the legitimacy of
international institutions, and the role of the United States in the
world. The moral significance of these issues must continue to be
assessed given their importance in shaping a more just and peaceful
world.
The role of conscience
While we have warned of the potential moral dangers of embarking on
this war, we have also been clear that there are no easy answers. War
has serious consequences, so could the failure to act. People of good
will may and do disagree on how to interpret just war teaching and how
to apply just war norms to the controverted facts of this case. We
understand and respect the difficult moral choices that must be made by
our President and others who bear the responsibility of making these
grave decisions involving our nation's and the world's security
(Catechism #2309).
We affirm the words of the Catechism: "[t]hose who are sworn to
serve their country in the armed forces are servants of the security and
freedom of nations. If they carry out their duty honorably, they truly
contribute to the common good of the nation and the maintenance of
peace" (#2310). We also affirm that "[p]ublic authorities
should make equitable provision for those who for reasons of conscience
refuse to bear arms" (#2311). We support those who have accepted
the call to serve their country in a conscientious way in the armed
services and we reiterate our long-standing support for those who pursue
conscientious objection and selective conscientious objection.
The moral conduct of war
Once the decision to use military force is taken, the moral and legal
constraints on the conduct of war must be observed. The United States
and its allies are at war with a regime that has shown, and we fear will
continue to show, a disregard for civilian lives and traditional norms
governing the use of force. All the more reason that our nation upholds
and reinforces these values by its own actions. While we recognize and
welcome the improved capability and commitment to avoid civilian
casualties, every effort must be made to ensure that efforts to reduce
the risk to U.S. forces are limited by careful judgments of military
necessity and the duty to respect the lives and dignity of Iraqi
civilians, who have suffered so much already from war, repression, and a
debilitating embargo.
Any decision to defend against Iraq's weapons of mass destruction by
using our own weapons of mass destruction would be clearly unjustified.
The use of anti-personnel landmines, cluster bombs and other weapons
that cannot distinguish between soldiers and civilians, or between times
of war and times of peace, ought to be avoided. In all our actions in
war, including assessments of whether "collateral damage" is
proportionate, we must value the lives and livelihood of Iraqi civilians
as we would the lives and livelihood of our own families and our own
citizens.
Humanitarian concerns and post-war obligations
An already vulnerable Iraqi population could face terrible new
burdens during this war, and a region already full of conflict and
refugees could see more conflict and many more displaced persons with
nowhere to go. Even amidst the chaos of war, every effort must be made
to prevent internal strife and to protect vulnerable groups. We are
deeply concerned that adequate resources and effective plans be put in
place to address the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, which, at least in the
short term, will be worsened by war. The United States, working with the
United Nations, private relief organizations, and all interested
parties, bears a heavy burden, during and after the war, of providing
for POWs and the civilian population, especially refugees and displaced
persons. Catholic relief agencies will continue to do all that they can
to respond to the needs of the Iraqi people.
The United States also must accept the long-term responsibility to help
Iraqis build a just and enduring peace in their country, while also
addressing the many serious unresolved issues in the Middle East,
especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. War and reconstruction in
Iraq must not result in an abandonment of our nation's responsibilities
to the poor at home and abroad, or a diversion of essential resources
from other humanitarian emergencies around the world.
At times like these, we turn to God and ask for wisdom and perseverance,
courage and compassion, faith and hope. We Christians are called to be
"sentinels of peace," the Holy Father reminds us. We join with
him in urging Catholics to dedicate this Lenten season to reflection,
prayer and fasting that the trials and tragedy of war will soon be
replaced by a just and lasting peace. ZE03032023
|
