Catholic Priests call on Ireland to lead EU response to Gaza crisis
Irish Jesuit Fr Brendan McManus SJ has joined more than 2,000 Catholic priests from 62 countries in urging the Irish Government to use Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union to press for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and stronger action to uphold international law.
Fr McManus is a member of ‘Priests Against Genocide’, an international network of clergy that includes two cardinals and 26 bishops and has grown rapidly over recent months. The organisation hopes its membership will reach around 4,000 priests by September.
In an open letter sent to the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, Government ministers and members of the Oireachtas, the group’s Irish members call on the Government to use Ireland’s leadership role within the European Union to advocate for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, ensure unhindered humanitarian access, promote accountability through the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, and examine diplomatic, economic and legislative measures that support compliance with international law.
The priests argue that Ireland’s current position offers an opportunity to demonstrate the same principled leadership it showed in opposing apartheid in South Africa during the 1980s. They say that legacy should now inspire Ireland to place human rights and international law at the heart of the European response to the crisis in Gaza.
The letter also refers to a recent statement by Amnesty International expressing concern about the European Union’s response to alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law and calling on individual member states to consider unilateral action where collective EU action has stalled.
Speaking on behalf of the Irish members of the network, a spokesperson said their appeal was motivated by a belief in the inherent dignity of every human person rather than political ideology. The group urged the Government to continue using Ireland’s voice and influence, both within Europe and internationally, to protect civilians, expand humanitarian assistance and work towards a just and lasting peace for all peoples of the region.
Fr David Neuhaus SJ, is a South African-born Jewish Israeli who later became a Catholic and a Jesuit. Fr. Neuhaus has written a blog » which traces the origins of the movement, recounts the events and voices that inspired its formation, and considers the growing willingness of priests and other members of civil society to speak out publicly in defence of human dignity, justice and peace.
Read the blog by clicking here »
