Immediate Release
January 3, 2020
Media Contact:
Janine Walsh | 203-685-1856 | walsh@franciscanaction.org
Franciscans Cry Out: NO WAR WITH IRAN
Washington, DC – The Pentagon confirmed yesterday that Qassem Soleimani, who leads Iran’s elite Quds force, was killed in what it termed a “defensive action.” The move, made by the Trump Administration without Congressional approval, poses a grave risk for a spiraling eye-for-an-eye escalation to war where terror against civilians, including American civilians at home and abroad, will be a very real risk. The Franciscan Action Network (FAN) calls on Congress to stop the escalation of advancement toward war with Iran.
“FAN advocates for peace as peacemaking is central to our mission,” said outgoing executive director, Patrick Carolan. “We follow the gospel teachings of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, and take as our example St. Francis of Assisi, who just over 800 years ago worked for peace during the 5th Crusade with the Egyptian Sultan Al-Kamil. To this day, Franciscans use the greeting, ‘Peace and all good,’ as a reminder of our deep desire to respect and build relationships with all people of faith. We are all God’s children. Instead of war, we should be building relationships to bring about peace and justice.”
As Pope Francis prayed for peace last November at the site of the Hiroshima atomic bomb attack, imploring “Never again war” and saying “A true peace can only be an unarmed peace,” we join people of faith and goodwill who are calling for no war with Iran. Franciscans beseech Congress to halt any escalation toward war with Iran and to open again a path of dialogue that was subverted by the administration’s decision to end the Iran Nuclear Agreement.
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