Long-term pastoral plan for Iraq needed, says U.S. priest

Published: 2004-01-22

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholic aid agencies meeting at the Vatican have agreed that a long-term pastoral plan for Iraq is needed, said Msgr. Robert L. Stern, secretary-general of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association. The humanitarian needs and situation of the church in Iraq were part of the focus of the Jan. 20-21 general assembly of ROACO, the Italian acronym for a charity connected with the Congregation for Eastern Churches. ROACO's members represent a wide spectrum of church funding agencies. "Emergency assistance is the main concern right now for Iraq, but once the dust settles, we would like to see a plenary assembly take place either in Iraq or Jordan so a new bishops' conference can be formed and with it a new pastoral plan," Msgr. Stern said. "The donor agencies are finding it difficult to come up with an assistance plan for Iraq on their own without having a partner on the ground," he said. "So as soon as it's feasible we will discuss this with the new patriarch of Iraq and the apostolic nuncio," he said.

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