Kenyan Catholic bishops appeal for dialogue to resolve violence

Published: 2008-01-02

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNS) -- Following days of violence and death after the announcement of disputed election results, Kenya's Catholic bishops appealed to political leaders to make every effort to engage in dialogue to resolve the crisis. A church official also said a bishop in one of the areas with the worst violence had appealed for help for the local humanitarian crisis. "We appeal specifically to the political leaders ... to reach out to one another through dialogue in order to seek a solution to the present situation," said a Jan. 2 statement signed by 24 Kenyan bishops, including Nairobi Cardinal John Njue, chairman of the Kenya Episcopal Conference. The four-page statement, "My Peace I Give You," emphasized that Kenya needs peace based on justice and true brotherhood. The bishops offered to mediate the crisis and proposed a review of the election results. "We make an appeal to all responsible to seek ways like establishing a commission to audit and specifically review the tallying of the parliamentary and presidential polls," said the bishops, noting allegations of electoral irregularities.

Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .