Bishops' ideas on peace weighed

Gerald Powers, who heads the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office of International Justice and Peace, went over a statement the bishops made last November titled, "Living With Faith and Hope After Sept. 11," and noted where progress has been made and where more work must be done. The pastoral message included a list of ways to make the world more just.

"The bishops are trying to change the focus from looking at an immediate response to Sept. 11 to, `There are many problems in the world that need to be addressed by U.S. foreign policy,'" Mr. Powers explained. "Our foreign policy cannot be exclusively focused on terrorism."

He noted some of the steps the bishops said would promote justice in the world:

MIDDLE EAST

"The Middle East is an ongoing, major concern of the bishops, and has been for many years," Mr. Powers stated. "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in one of the worst phases it's been in in many years."

His comments came in the wake of a July 23 missile attack on Gaza City that killed Hamas militant leader Sheik Salah Shehada and 14 other people, seven or eight of whom were children.

"The bishops have addressed many aspects of the problem in letters to the President and visits," said Mr. Powers. "We've continued to maintain close contact with the churches [in the Middle East] to support a much-beleaguered Christian community."

IRAQ

"The U.N. took a step in the right direction by modifying the sanctions in May," Mr. Powers responded. "It hasn't removed the embargo, but it has made the sanctions more focused than before. We hope that will alleviate some of the suffering of the population.

"We're very concerned about proposals to use military force to topple the Iraqi regime," he said. "The precedent involved is unilaterally toppling other governments by the so-called `preventive use of force' in order to deal with potential threats. If there is no connection between the Iraqi government and Sept. 11, or if there is no imminent threat of similar attacks, we would find it morally problematic."

He added that while it's important to acknowledge that the Iraqi government is a threat to both its own people and its neighbors, "you don't have to say Saddam Hussein is an angel to question the morality of the embargo and the use of unilateral force."

SUDAN

"The situation in Sudan remains grim," Mr. Powers said, calling it one of the worst examples in the world of human suffering.

Citing Sen. John Danforth's mission to Sudan last fall, when a four-month cease-fire was negotiated, he said that "modest progress has been achieved. We are following the situation very closely, particularly the role oil is playing in fueling the war, and we're assessing what the U.S. can do to make sure oil cannot continue to be used to fuel the war."

Hope remains, he added: Last weekend, an interim peace agreement was signed in Sudan. "It's not the end, but it's a significant step," Mr. Powers said.

POVERTY

"That's a huge, complex problem," Mr. Powers observed. He noted two positive developments: The Bush administration committing to an increase in foreign development aid (after initially being critical of foreign aid) and wealthy countries forgiving the debt of developing nations.

However, said Mr. Powers, the Bush proposal must still win congressional approval, and "we have found that the program of debt forgiveness is not working the way it ought to be. We're pushing legislation to correct [it]; that legislation is moving forward in Congress. Hopefully, it will pass this year and improve the situation of some of the poorest countries in the world."

NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Last week, the bishops testified before the U.S. Senate on the Moscow Treaty, pushing for the reduction in U.S. and Russian nuclear weaponry that the treaty would demand. The bishops called nuclear weapons "a significant threat."

"The Moscow Treaty is a step in the right direction, and the U.S. has to do much more to drastically cut its nuclear weapons and progress toward ultimately banning nuclear weapons," Mr. Powers stated.

He noted that the treaty requires that the U.S. and Russia each reduce their deployed nuclear weapons to between 1,700 and 2,200. However, he said, "this treaty doesn't require that any weapons be destroyed or dismantled; they're essentially put on reserve."

Additionally, the treaty doesn't demand that anything be done until the year 2012 -- which is also the year it expires. Therefore, said Mr. Powers, "the minute you meet the deadline, the treaty expires, and you can rebuild up to your current levels."

The expert noted that the treaty does deserve support, if only for its political significance. "Its long-term value will depend on what other steps are taken in association with this treaty," he said. The bishops are urging that the U.S. also sign the comprehensive test-ban treaty, eliminate tactical nuclear weapons (small weapons not covered under any treaties), and not use miniature nuclear weapons to combat chemical and biological ones.

CONCLUSION

Referring to the Moscow Treaty and the possibility of a boost in U.S. foreign aid, he said, "There is some progress, as opposed to no progress."

(08-01-02) [[In-content Ad]]