U.S. Christians respond to Obama's call for peace in Holy Land

Jun 4, 2009
by John L. Allen Jr.

A press release from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says that Bishop Howard Hubbard, the chairman of the bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace, was among the signers of a letter sent to President Barack Obama today praising his Cairo speech and responding to his call to work for peace in the Holy Land.

The release said:

"The message of support expressed gratitude for President Obama’s efforts at reaching out to the Muslim world and for making Israeli-Palestinian peace a top priority of his Administration. But it also expressed grave concern over the “deteriorating situation in the Holy Land” and urged the Obama Administration to make real and concrete progress in achieving a just peace between Israel and the Palestinians."

Bishop Hubbard said, “I am deeply inspired by the President’s effort to bridge divides of culture and faith and to reach out directly to the people of the Middle East. Confrontation only breeds radicalism. For this effort at rapprochement to succeed, however, we need to see real progress on the ground towards peace with justice in the Holy Land.”

The full text of the letter is here.

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Besides Bishop Hubbard, signers of the letter include:

  • Bishop Gabino Zavala, Bishop President of Pax Christi USA:

  • Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando, Fla.

  • Bihsop John H. Ricard of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Fla.

  • Fr. Thomas Picton, President of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men

  • Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington

  • Sr. Margaret Mary Kimmins, president of the Franciscan Action Network

  • Marie Dennis, director of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

  • Sr. J. Lora Dambroski, president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious

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