US Bishops urge government to push for ceasefire, not intervention




September 3, 2013. (Romereports.com) After drafting a letter pushing for the protection of religious freedom in Egypt, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops once again reached out to American Secretary of State John Kerry, this time on the on-going violence in Syria.

The letter was once again written by Iowa Bishop Richard Pates, the chairman for the Conference's Justice and Peace Committee. The bishop denounced the use of chemical weapons against innocent people.

However, the letter clearly states that the Conference believes “dialogue and negotiation” are the only solution to end the bloodshed. They urged Kerry and the U.S. Government to obtain a ceasefire, rather than military intervention, and push for serious negotiations between the warring sides. They also asked for the government to provide humanitarian assistance to the victims of the conflict, and to protect Christians and other minorities.
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