Washington D.C., Jun 28, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The United States bishops have called upon the international community to pressure the government of Zimbabwe to cease brutal treatment of its people.
They have also called upon Zimbabwean authorities to provide the people with urgently needed shelter and food, to facilitate the efforts of humanitarian organizations in these endeavors, and to fully restore the people’s property.
In a statement, dated June 24, the bishops expressed concern over the wholesale destruction of homes and businesses of ordinary people by Zimbabwean authorities in the recent so-called “Operation Restore Order.”
The statement was written by Bishop John Ricard, SSJ, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Policy.