Pax Christi Leaders Call on President Bush to Enact a Christmas Ceasefire
December 18, 2006
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Recognizing the widespread violence engulfing Iraq, national and regional leaders of Pax Christi USA, the national Catholic peace movement www.paxchristiusa.org), sent a letter today asking President George W. Bush to announce a Christmas ceasefire, halting all military operations on Christmas day—including hostile raids, all special operations and all targeted patrols.
“As conscientious Catholics we are urging this Christmas ceasefire as a way to remember the birth of the Prince of Peace,” said Dr. Rosemarie Pace, Director of Pax Christi Metro New York. Pace suggested that a ceasefire could be seen as a “concrete gesture of hope amidst the spiraling violence.”
The letter calling for a Christmas ceasefire is part of a nationwide campaign focusing on peace in Iraq enacted during the Christian season of Advent by Pax Christi USA. Geared at bringing attention to the failed U.S. policies in Iraq and the need for a new path, the campaign includes public prayer vigils, letter writing campaigns, visits to congressional offices, and peaceful demonstrations. Thousands of Catholics throughout the U.S. are participating in the campaign.
“More than a change of strategy in the way the war in Iraq is conducted, our nation needs a change of heart,” said Dave Robinson, executive director of Pax Christi USA. “The time has passed for the U.S. to demonstrate it can play a positive role in stopping the violence within Iraq through force. By calling for a Christmas ceasefire the Bush administration can send a powerful signal that it is truly seeking a new direction.”
Beyond the gesture of a ceasefire, Pax Christi USA continues to call upon the Bush Administration to bring the troops home, abandon the permanent bases it has erected, increase reconstruction assistance that employs Iraqis, and seek regional solutions to the growing refugee catastrophe.
For information or interview requests of grassroots Pax Christi leaders in your area, contact:
Johnny Zokovitch, Pax Christi USA Communications Director
johnnypcusa@yahoo.com
352-219-8419
Pax Christi USA is the national Catholic peace and justice movement with over 120 bishop members, 800 parishes, 600 religious communities and 300 local groups. Pax Christi USA is a section of Pax Christi International, with sections in over 50 countries worldwide and consultative status at the United Nations. More information is available at www.paxchristiusa.org.
