Letter
Bishop Cantú Welcomes P5+1/Iran Nuclear Agreement, July 15, 2015
Letter from Bishop Oscar Cantu, Chairman, Committee on International Justice and Peace to Congress Welcoming P5+1/Iran Nuclear Agreement, July 14, 2015
As Chair of the Committee on International Justice and Peace of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I welcome the momentous agreement just reached between the United States and its P5+1 partners with Iran. This significant achievement aims to curb Iran’s development of nuclear weapons while allowing them to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
More importantly, this agreement signals progress in global nuclear non-proliferation. In January 2015, Pope Francis said, “I express my hope that a definitive agreement may soon be reached between Iran and the P5+1 Group regarding the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and my appreciation of the efforts already made in this regard.”
Since 2007, our Committee on International Justice and Peace, reflecting the longstanding position of the Holy See, has urged our nation to pursue diplomacy to ensure Iran’s compliance with its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. For years, we have supported dialogue and a negotiated resolution of the conflict in collaboration with international partners.