President & Vice President of U.S. Bishops Conference Respond to Syria Chemical Attack

WASHINGTON— Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops(USCCB), and Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, vice president of the USCB, have issued the following joint statement on yesterday's chemical weapons attack in northern Syria.  

The full statement follows:

"Thechemical attack in Syria on April 4 shocks the soul. The many innocent livestargeted by these terrible tools of war cry out for humanity's protection. In this season of Lent when Christians drawnear to the suffering of Christ, let us match the horrific indifference shownfor innocent life with a fervent prayer for love to break through theevil. Let us also match our prayer witha faithful witness to suffering so that no life at risk is forgotten.

PopeFrancis has repeatedly issued an appeal to Syrian leaders and to theinternational community saying: 'Please, silence the weapons, put an end to theviolence! No more war! No more destruction! May humanitarian laws be respected,may the people who need humanitarian assistance be cared for and may thedesired peace be attained through dialogue and reconciliation.'

We echothe Holy Father's call. We pray for an end to the carnage in Syria and we praythat God will assuage all those who suffer and bring them consolation as weapproach Easter and its message of love and hope."

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Keywords: Syria, chemical attacks, DanielCardinal DiNardo, Archbishop José H.Gomez, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, tools of war, innocent lives, prayer, weapons, violence, humanitarian law, peace, dialogue, reconciliation, Easter, love, hope.

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