Letter to President Obama Regarding Syria, September 4, 2013

September 4, 2013

President Barack Obama
The White House
Washington, DC 20270

Mr. President:

As our nation contemplates military action in Syria, we want to assure you and your Administration of our prayers.  We know that the situation in Syria is complex and appreciate the patience and restraint that your Administration has exercised to date.  We affirm your decision to invite public dialogue and Congressional review of any possible military action, and want to contribute to that discussion from our perspective as Catholic pastors and teachers.

We join you in your absolute condemnation of the use of chemical weapons in Syria.  These indiscriminate weapons have no place in the arsenals of the family of nations.  With you we mourn for the lives lost and grieve with the families of the deceased.  At the same time, we remain profoundly concerned for the more than 100,000 Syrians who have lost their lives, the more than 2 million who have fled the country as refugees, and the more than 4 million within Syria who have been driven from their homes by the violence.  Our focus is on the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Syria and on saving lives by ending the conflict, not fueling it.

We have heard the urgent calls of the Successor of Saint Peter, Pope Francis, and our suffering brother bishops of the venerable and ancient Christian communities of the Middle East.  As one, they beg the international community not to resort to military intervention in Syria.  They have made it clear that a military attack will be counterproductive, will exacerbate an already deadly situation, and will have unintended negative consequences.  Their concerns find a strong resonance in American public opinion that questions the wisdom of intervention and in the lack of international consensus.

We make our own the appeal of Pope Francis: “I exhort the international community to make every effort to promote clear proposals for peace in that country without further delay, a peace based on dialogue and negotiation, for the good of the entire Syrian people.  May no effort be spared in guaranteeing humanitarian assistance to those wounded by this terrible conflict, in particular those forced to flee and the many refugees in nearby countries.”

The longstanding position of our Conference of Bishops is that the Syrian people urgently need a political solution.  We ask the United States to work urgently and tirelessly with other governments to obtain a ceasefire, initiate serious negotiations, provide impartial humanitarian assistance, and encourage efforts to build an inclusive society in Syria that protects the rights of all its citizens, including Christians and other minorities.

Please be assured of our prayers as your Administration faces the complex challenges and humanitarian catastrophe that have engulfed Syria.

Sincerely yours,


Timothy Cardinal Dolan                
Archbishop of New York                
President,                        
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops     

Most Reverend Richard E. Pates
Bishop of Des Moines
Chair, Committee on International Justice and Peace