Bishop Pates Voices Solidarity With Church In The Congo As Conflict Mineral Rule Faces U.S. Legal Challenge

WASHINGTON—The U.S. bishops supporta rule by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that would guard againstU.S. investments funding militias in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, saidBishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, chairman of the Committee onInternational Justice and Peace of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops(USCCB). In a May 3 letter to Bishop Nicolas Djomo Lola of Tshumbe, presidentof the Congolese bishops, Bishop Pates expressed the solidarity of the U.S.bishops as the rule faces a legal challenge in the U.S. Court of Appeals forthe District of Columbia Circuit.

"Yourtireless efforts, along with those of your brother bishops and the entireChurch community, have long exemplified courageous leadership in the face of violentconflict," wrote Bishop Pates. "We send our ongoing prayers as innocent peoplein your country suffer and die at the hands of militias who control illegalmines, divide up your country and eliminate the rule of law."

BishopPates noted that the U.S. bishops offered official comments in support of therule when the SEC first proposed it and continue to support it now. The rule ispart of the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and ConsumerProtection Act.

"Therule is consistent with Catholic teaching on protection of human life anddignity," wrote Bishop Pates. "It takes into account the lived experience ofthe Church in your country and that of our colleagues at Catholic ReliefServices and other development and relief agencies in the region. It also meetsour concern of providing appropriate coverage of issuers and products, andinsuring information submitted to the SEC is accurate, verifiable and easilyavailable to investors and consumers."

Bishop Pates said the Congolesebishops have the "deepest respect" of the U.S. bishops for their efforts tostop the violence in their country, address its root causes and provide asustainable resolution.

In May 2012, Bishop Djomo testifiedbefore a Congressional committee and urged the adoption of rigoroustransparency rules. "The Church in the Congo trusts that the business communitycan and will join us to protect the life and human dignity of the Congolesepeople by conducting legal, transparent and accountable internationalcommerce," he said. "We are confident that they do not want to be part of themisery that has plagued Eastern Congo for years."

More information on Bishop Djomo'stestimony is available online: www.usccb.org/news/2012/12-082.cfm

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Keywords: militias, conflict minerals, Wall Street reform,investors, SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, Democratic Republic of theCongo, Bishop Richard E. Pates, USCCB, U.S. bishops, U.S. Conference of CatholicBishops, Bishop Nicolas Djomo Lola, International Justice and Peace, DesMoines, Iowa, Congress, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of ColumbiaCircuit

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