ELCA NEWS SERVICE
June 5, 2008
ELCA, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishops Urge Prayers for Peace in Sudan
08-078-JB
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In a June 5 joint statement, the presiding
bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and
the Episcopal Church urged U.S. citizens to pray for peace in
Sudan, and they called for "strong action" from the international
community to restore stability there.
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson of the ELCA and the Rev. Katharine
Jefferts Schori of the Episcopal Church made their comments in a
public statement following a new outbreak of violence in Sudan
that "has threatened the resumption of widespread conflict in a
nation just three years removed from decades of civil war," they
wrote.
"Our sense of foreboding is heightened because the violence
has come in and around Abyei, a town whose history, resources
and proximity to the border between northern and southern Sudan
make it a proving ground for the success or failure of the
nation's still-young peace agreement," Hanson and Jefferts Schori
wrote. Many people have been killed, much of Abyei has been
burned to the ground and as many as 120,000 people have been
displaced from their homes, they said.
The presiding bishops called for "urgent action from the
international community" to address the present suffering and
safeguard against the resumption of widespread and decentralized
fighting. They noted that Sudan is already destabilized by "the
unchecked and catastrophic war in its western Darfur region."
Hanson and Jefferts Schori said three actions are needed.
First, they said there is an urgent need for humanitarian
assistance through government agencies, such as the U.S. Agency
for International Development, and through private giving, to
assist newly displaced people who now suffer without food, clean
water or shelter. They suggested financial gifts could be
provided through ELCA International Disaster Response or
Episcopal Relief and Development.
Second, the presiding bishops said increased diplomatic
pressure from the international community -- including
neighboring states and allies of the Sudanese government --
"is necessary to demand that northern Sudanese military units
withdraw from Abyei immediately and allow a comprehensive
international assessment of the cause and effects of the
conflict."
Third, they asked that the United States and other parties
to Sudan's 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) "insist on
full and immediate implementation of the CPA and subsequent
agreements, especially as they relate to Abyei," including
provisions to respect clear borders, fair sharing of resources
and autonomous local governance in southern Sudan.
"These steps are necessary for the remainder of the peace
process to unfold as envisioned by its drafters and to avoid the
pitfalls we have seen in other areas of implementation such as
the current census," Hanson and Jefferts Schori said.
The two presiding bishops said they both heard firsthand
reports about the situation from Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul, the
leader of Sudan's 4 million Episcopalians and from members of a
joint Lutheran-Episcopal delegation that traveled recently to
southern Sudan.
"We have heard stories of great hope and courage, but also
of the fragility of peace and the dire humanitarian consequences
a resumption of war would bring," the presiding bishops wrote.
"We hope this joint statement may raise awareness of the crisis,
and urge Episcopalians and Lutherans to send a copy of it to
their elected officials. In these difficult days we pray that
God, whose blessed Son 'came to preach peace to those who are far
off and those who are near,' would grant wisdom and strength to
our brothers and sisters in Sudan, as well as inspiration and
purpose to all who watch from a distance and wish to help by
heart, hand or voice."
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Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response should be
designated for "Sudan Crisis." Gifts may be sent through ELCA
congregations, by phone at 1-800-638-3522, online at
http://www.ELCA.org/disaster/idrgive or mailed to ELCA
International Disaster Response, P.O. Box 71764, Chicago, IL
60694-1764
The text of the complete statement is at
http://archive.ELCA.org/bishop/messages/m_080604.html
on the ELCA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
