Build bridges, not walls: European justice-and-peace commissions

October 04, 2016

The justice-and-peace commissions of the European Catholic bishops’ conference have issued a statement calling upon political leaders to build bridges rather than walls.

Acknowledging that European peoples have legitimate reasons for concern about their security, the Conference of European Justice and Peace Commissions argues nonetheless that excluding immigrants will not provide security.

We warn against the idea that Europe can achieve security for itself by building walls. The nature of the threats to Europe’s security is too diverse and too complex for walls to be effective. Instead, walls exclude and discriminate, and create a sense of injustice. Security for Europe will only be achieved when all inhabitants of this world can perceive the world order as just.

The statement goes on to suggest that European political leaders “must keep looking beyond the immediate crisis in order to address its real root causes.”

 

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Further information:

• Build bridges of justice rather than walls of fear (Justitia et Pax)