Washington D.C., Jul 23, 2007 / 09:24 am
The U.S. bishops have asked to meet with Republican members of the House of Representatives to discuss a responsible transition to end the war in Iraq.
The letter followed a similar one in response to Rep. Tim Ryan (D—Ohio) and 13 other House Democrats who had sent a letter June 28 asking to meet to discuss the war in Iraq.
The bishops’ request was outlined in a letter from Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on International Policy, to Rep. John A. Boehner (R—Ohio), House minority leader.
“The Catholic Bishops of the United States are concerned for the dangerous and deteriorating situation in Iraq,” wrote Bishop Wenski in his letter to Boehner. “Too many Iraqi and American lives have been lost. Too many Iraqi communities have been shattered. Too many civilians have been driven from their homes. The human and financial costs of the war are staggering.”