In the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare, Franciscans International seeks a peaceful resolution to the war in Iraq.

Our most recent actions have included:

• Calling the Iraqi government to comply with UN Resolution 1441 (Mar. 11, 2003)
• Informing UN ambassadors of the prayer and fasting being undertaken to support their decision-making process (Feb. 19, 2003)
• Urging UN ambassadors to give the weapons inspection process more time in light of Iraqi steps toward compliance of Security Council Resolution 1441, (Feb. 11, 2003)
• Arranging several briefings on Iraq (in December, February and March) by members of UNMOVIC and members of the Security Council, through the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security, of which FI is a member.

How Franciscans Can Get Involved

After consultation with members of the Security Council, FI suggested that Franciscans “concentrate on lobbying governments whose behavior and ideas we wanted to change, including Iraq, and work on public opinion.” In response to a plea by a government for “new ideas as to how to achieve that peace,” FI asked members to send them specific ideas.

Franciscans are urged to be knowledgeable of the foreign policy of their own government, and to engage and challenge their leaders to behave ethically and act multilaterally where necessary and appropriate.

Background to Resolution 1441

It is important to understand that while SC Resolution 1441 has as its context "international peace and security, "it also addresses humanitarian issues. In addition to condemning Iraq’s past failures to report its weapons of mass destruction and to cooperate with weapons inspections, the resolution deplores Iraq's failures

"to end repression of its civilian population and to provide access by international humanitarian organizations to all those in need of assistance in Iraq,...and...to return or cooperate in accounting for Kuwaiti and third country nationals wrongfully detained by Iraq, or to return Kuwaiti property wrongfully seized by Iraq."

The key action of the resolution “decides that Iraq has been and remains in material breach of its obligations...” but also

“decides… to affords Iraq, by this resolution, a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations under relevant resolutions of the Council; and accordingly decides to set up an enhanced inspection regime with the aim of bringing to full and verified completion the disarmament process established by resolution 687 (1991) and subsequent resolutions of the council.”

False statements, omissions, or failure to cooperate, including interference with inspection activities will be considered in "material breach" and reported to the Council. In that event, the Security Council

"Decides to convene immediately upon receipt of a report ['of non-compliance']... in order to consider the situation and the need for full compliance with all of the relevant Council resolutions in order to secure international peace and security; Recalls, in that context, that the Council has repeatedly warned Iraq that it will face serious consequences as a result of its continued violations of its obligations."

Visit FI News for the latest news and updates on FI’s response to the crisis in Iraq

Read " A Just War in a Time of Terrorism: A Franciscan Perspective" By David B. Couturier, OFM. Cap. ['english'] ['italian']

Other related documents on Iraq