Bishops told of peace issues needing church perspectives

Published: 2003-11-12

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The church needs to develop perspectives on world issues such as humanitarian military intervention, nuclear weapons, the political dimension of problems and globalization, said speakers at a seminar for bishops. "Avoidance of war is a political issue," said Michael Novak, an expert in religion and public policy at the American Enterprise Institute. Democratic societies are the best way to prevent wars, he said. Novak spoke on a panel Nov. 9 in Washington, the day before the start of the bishops' Nov. 10-13 general meeting. About 200 bishops and guests attended the seminar which was organized by the U.S. bishops' Committee on International Policy to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the bishops' peace pastoral, "The Challenge of Peace," which outlined the church's stance on disarmament, deterrence and use of nuclear weapons during the Cold War. Although the Cold War is over, there are still thousands of armed nuclear weapons in Russia and the United States, said John Steinbruner, director of the University of Maryland's Center for International and Security Studies. "The practice of deterrence is still with us," he said.

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