FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUG 1, 2023
MEDDIA CONTACT: Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
Coalition of US Peace Groups Sponsors Ad and Statement by Over 100 Religious Leaders Calling for a Ceasefire in Ukraine
WASHINGTON, D.C. (DATE) - The Peace in Ukraine Coalition and religious leaders from various faiths are elevating Pope Francis’s call for a ceasefire and peace in Ukraine by sponsoring a full-page ad and statement in Sojourner’s Christian social justice magazine. The ad features powerful quotes from Pope Francis urging an immediate end to the catastrophic Russia-Ukraine war, which poses the risk of nuclear escalation and global annihilation.
The statement, signed by several hundred religious leaders including Catholics, Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Quakers, emphasizes the urgent need for a ceasefire and the pursuit of peaceful negotiations. Among the signatories are renowned figures such as Bishop John Stowe; Bridget Moix, General Secretary of Friends Committee on National Legislation; Father John Dear, Nobel Peace Prize nominee by Archbishop Desmond Tutu; Dr. Ansel Augustine, Director of the Office of the Black Catholic Ministers of the Archdiocese of New Orleans; Rabbi Elyse Wechterman of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association; and Zainab Al-Suwaij, Co-founder and Executive Director of the American Islamic Congress.
Quoting Pope Francis, the statement reads, "How much blood must still flow for us to realize that war is never a solution, only destruction? In the name of God and in the name of the sense of humanity that dwells in every heart, I renew my call for an immediate ceasefire. Let there be a halt to arms, and let us seek the conditions for negotiations."
This is not the first time these religious leaders have united in their plea for peace. In July, many of them signed a similar letter published in the Independent Catholic News, echoing the Pope's message and urging an end to war and violence. The letter emphasized the importance of not accepting war as the norm and called for a collective effort to prevent further devastation.
With approximately 70 million Catholics in the United States, including President Joe Biden, who was married by a Catholic priest at the Chapel of the United Nations in New York City, the Pope's repeated calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine should resonate with the faith community. Despite his campaign promise to end forever wars, President Biden has yet to support a ceasefire for peace in the Russia-Ukraine War. Instead, he has sabotaged peace talks and escalated the war by providing more weapons, including tanks coated in depleted uranium and internationally-banned cluster munitions.
The Peace in Ukraine Coalition–an umbrella organization representing over 100 peace groups– hopes their full-page ad and statement will raise awareness to encourage President Biden to reconsider his refusal to support peace negotiations.
Some of the many groups involved in the national and international Peace in Ukraine Coalition include CODEPINK, Veterans For Peace, Massachusetts Peace Action, DSA-International Committee, World Beyond War, RootsAction and Brooklyn for Peace. The Coalition will participate in the Global Days of Action Sept. 30-October 8th to promote a ceasefire and diplomacy to end the war.
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About Peace in Ukraine Coalition:
Peace in Ukraine is a US-based organization in support of a mutual ceasefire, weapons halt and diplomacy to end the Russia-Ukraine War.
