Washington D.C., Oct 5, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Combating terrorism remains a government priority, but respect for human dignity should not be undermined in the process, says the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ International Policy Committee.
Yesterday, Bishop John Ricard of Pensacola-Tallahassee urged support for legislative guidelines for interrogations of enemy prisoners as well as a prohibition on inhuman treatment.
“We believe that a respect for the dignity of every human person, ally or enemy, must serve as the foundation of the pursuit of security, justice, and peace,” Bishop Ricard wrote in a letter to U.S. Senators. “There can be no compromise on the moral imperative to protect the basic human rights of any individual incarcerated for any reason.”
On behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Ricard urged senators to support two amendments to the Defense Authorization Act, proposed by Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and John Warner (R-VA).