Manila (Fides Service) - The Catholic Bishops of the Philippines have stated their firm opposition to any pre-emptive strike on Iraq, even if the United Nations were to authorise the attack. "We support the Pope's call for peace" Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, president of the Bishops' Conference told Fides Service. "International problems must be resolved through dialogue, negotiations, peaceful means. War could have unpredictable and disastrous consequences all over the Middle East. The United Nations has the duty to work for peace in the world and to maintain peace within its assembly, where today positions differ. We are against war. Even if the UN were to give authorisation and legalise war, we think that in this case it would be almost impossible to meet the moral criteria necessary for a just war. As Christians we stand for love and peace" affirmed the President of the Bishops' Conference.
In a statement entitled "No To War" issued at the end of their 86th Plenary Assembly on January 28 the Bishops refer to Pope John Paul II's new year address to diplomats in the Vatican on 13 January: "War is not always inevitable. It is always a defeat for humanity".
In their statement the Bishops urge the United Nations and President Bush to allow the UN weapons inspectors more time to complete their task and they warn: "war would on Iraq would have serious international repercussions…with this in mind we make a strong appeal for peace".
The Bishops continue: "The Lord Jesus has commanded us to love both friends and foes alike. Pope John Paul II also declares to the world: <No to War>…..we live in one world. We belong to each other as members of the same human family under God. We must settle our differences through negotiation and dialogue in non-violent ways in every peaceful way possible. We therefore appeal strongly with all our heart to the leaders of Iraq, the United Nations and particularly the United Nations to settle without recourse to arms the grave issues that threaten to become causes of war. At this time in history with the incredible swiftness of attack and counterattack, using weapons of incredible devastation that can threaten world wide security, the strict moral conditions of a just war are almost impossible to comply with. If war must be resorted to is must be absolutely the last resort".
Archbishop Quevedo hopes that the President of the Philippines Gloria Arroyo will stand by her earlier statement declaring her government would not support any attack on Iraq without a UN sanction. There is concern also because about 1 million overseas Filipino workers in West Asia, some 600,000 in Kuwait on the south-east border of Iraq. "Our own economy and people would most certainly be affected", the Bishops write in their message. See statement at www.fides.org (Fides Service 30/1/2003)