& the General Definitorium
& the General Definitorium
Prime Minister Tony Blair
10 Downing Street
London
United Kingdom
Prot.n. 086848
Dear Mr. President
Dear Mr. Blair,
February 10, 1998
Peace and all things good!
As members of the General Administration of the Franciscans (Order
of Friars Minor) and on behalf of our fellow friars, we plead
with you not to resort to violent means in the enforcement of
the United Nations resolutions calling for
the elimination of arms of mass destruction in Iraq. We firmly
believe that peaceful and long lasting solutions to political
conflict can only be achieved by having recourse to dialogue and
diplomacy.
The struggle for peace,
reconciliation and harmony among the men and women of our world
has never been an easy nor a hitherto fully attainable goal. However,
it continues to be God's mandate and an objective which must motivate
all people of goodwill. We believe that violence only begets more
violence and "The one who lives by the sword, dies by the
sword" (Matthew, 26:52).
The last seven years of
war restrictions and embargo against Iraq have inflicted untold
hardship and suffering on an innocent and powerless civilian population.
We note with great sadness the deaths of over one million Iraqis
over this time and the alarming rate of children dying each month
(four thousand five hundred under the age of five according to
UNICEF, 1996). A bombing campaign would only kill more innocent
people and worsen their already desperate plight. There must be
plenty of intelligence, resources, experience and diplomatic skills
within the international community that can be mobilized to resolve
this crisis peacefully.
Invited by the beatitude
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall see God"
(Matthew 5:9), we encourage you to redouble your diplomatic efforts,
to be patient, more resourceful and to continue to use dialogue
as the preferential means in hopefully achieving a mutually acceptable
and dignified solution to this ongoing crisis.
Sincerely in Saint Francis,
 Fr. Giacomo Bini. OFM Minister General
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