Letter
Letter to Secretary Kerry on Colombia, July 5, 2016
July 5, 2016
The Honorable John F. Kerry
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20520
Dear Secretary Kerry:
As Chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), I write to share the hopes of my fellow bishops in Colombia regarding the encouraging political situation in that country. Attached please find the Spanish original version, as well as an unofficial English translation, of a recent Statement of the Colombian Bishops' Conference.
In this document, the bishops endorse the call for dialogue and reconciliation, as reflected in the recent cease-fire, as the means to effectuate a just and effective political solution. They also recognize the importance of continued efforts to reduce the number of weapons available to insurgents and other parties, as a critical path towards peace
We also congratulate and endorse the tireless efforts undertaken by you, your staff and your predecessors, in helping to bring about such a positive development. Our nation has a special moral responsibility to protect the lives, dignity and future of all our Colombian brothers and sisters. On behalf of the Committee on International Justice and Peace of the USCCB, we ask the U.S. Government to continue in its path towards fostering peace in this troubled nation, through promoting vigorously the principles set forth in the enclosed Statement.
Sincerely yours,
Most Reverend Oscar Cantú
Bishop of Las Cruces
Chair, Committee on International Justice and Peace
Enclosure: Statement, Colombian Bishops' Conference (Spanish original and unofficial English translation)