Bishops across Asia are calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, expressing their concern that escalating violence could trigger “incalculable human and economic consequences” worldwide.
By LiCAS News The Central Committee of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) issued a statement from Bangkok, Thailand, on March 3, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East. The Asian Bishops expressed “deep anguish and grave concern over the renewed escalation of violence in the Middle East,” citing recent cycles of bombardment and retaliation involving major global and regional powers. “The recent cycles of bombardment and retaliation, involving major global and regional powers, risk plunging the region and the world into a conflict of incalculable human and economic consequences,” the statement said. “As a continent, we are particularly concerned about this conflict,” the Bishops added. The FABC echoed the appeal of Pope Leo XIV, stressing that “peace cannot be built on threats or weapons that sow destruction, pain, and death”. “Stability cannot arise from fear, nor can justice be secured through violence. Only sincere, responsible, and sustained dialogue can open pathways toward a just and lasting peace,” the Bishops said. Speaking from the context of Asia’s religious diversity and the daily struggles of the poor, the Bishops said that peace requires justice and trust among peoples. “Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is the fruit of justice, the work of dialogue, and the patient building of trust among peoples,” they said. They warned that war “disproportionately wounds the most vulnerable: the poor, the displaced, children, and future generations”. The Bishops called “for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for all parties to exercise moral responsibility, resisting the spiral of escalation that leads only to deeper suffering and irreversible loss.” They also urged “the restoration of diplomacy as the primary instrument for resolving conflicts.” “Dialogue, however difficult, remains the only path that respects the dignity of peoples and the sovereignty of nations,” the statement said. The FABC further encouraged “interreligious solidarity, especially among leaders of the great religious traditions present in the region, to witness together to the sacredness of life” and renewed its “commitment to stand with the poor and the victims of war, whose cries often go unheard amid geopolitical calculations”. “We earnestly invite all our local Churches across Asia in this season of Lent to intensify prayer, fasting, and concrete acts of solidarity for peace,” the Bishops said.