Bishop Nicholas Hudson and Bishop Jim Curry, the bishops of the Department for International Affairs, and the bishops for the Holy Land Co-Ordination, at the bishops’ conference, have released a statement following recent events between Israel, Iran and the US.
In it they “welcome the recent de-escalation” and “pray for the preservation of a stable and lasting ceasefire in the region”.
The full statement is below:
We welcome the recent de-escalation of conflict between Israel, US and Iran, and we pray for the preservation of a stable and lasting ceasefire in the region, to allow for the building of peace, justice and the upholding of human dignity. In this troubling time, we pray that our world leaders pursue paths of dialogue that seek peace and prevent any further escalation of conflict that could destabilise the region and lead to greater human suffering.
We repeat the request of Pope Leo XIV for the return of ‘responsibility and reason’ to the political and military actions of countries in the region. We echo the concerns of the Latin Archbishop of Tehran-Ispahan, Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, that the current ceasefire is ‘extremely fragile’ and that peace will require ‘common and shared responsibility’. The Church has consistently called for states possessing nuclear weapons to disarm, recognising that, while each State has a moral responsibility for this, disarmament will most effectively be progressed through international frameworks.
As we continue our journey through this Jubilee Year as ‘pilgrims of hope’, we invite the Catholic community and all people of goodwill to join us in prayer for a deepening of the hope which encourages and inspires the pursuit of peace in the Middle East. Even in these troubling times, we believe that no prayer ever goes unheard and can be a cry of protest as well as of petition.
At this time, we remember all members of the Catholic community across England and Wales who are concerned for the safety and well-being of their loved ones living in affected parts of the region. May God grant them comfort and peace.
