CCEE APPEALS FOR END TO CONFLICT IN KOSOVO

VATICAN CITY, APR 27, 1999 (VIS) - Made public yesterday afternoon in Italian, English, French and German was an appeal from the president of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE), Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, archbishop of Prague, for an end to the conflict in Kosovo. The CCEE comprises the presidents of the 34 episcopal conferences in Europe.

Following are excerpts from that appeal:

"As President of the Council of Catholic Bishops' Conferences of Europe (CCEE), together with my brother bishops and all Christians, I am following with profound sadness and compassion the fate of the men and women who have been hit by the war in Kosovo and Serbia. Our solidarity is directed particularly to those people who are the victims of forced expulsion and suppression for the mere fact that they are of a specific nationality. Not only are the atrocious acts of violence inflicted on them during their flight a crime, but their very expulsion as such is criminal. We are aware of the struggle of conscience in those responsible among the politicians and military who have decided to use force of arms to defend unarmed people who are exposed to the blind fury of the murderer, to horrendous violence and to the systematic destruction of their homes and their land. All people - of whatever country, race or religious persuasion - have the inalienable right to a home and land."

"The appeals for peace made by those responsible for the Church, beginning with Pope John Paul II, have so far remained unheard. ... We are following with great hope the efforts of the United Nations mediators and leading Russian politicians."

"We insist in our appeal to those implicated in the armed struggle that they should consider everything possible to silence the weapons and prepare the ground for effective talks for peace."

"We thank the governments and citizens of all those countries that have not remained indifferent to the fate of exiles and refugees and have opened their own frontiers, at least for a time. They have given back the chance of a life with some human dignity."

"We feel united with all those, and especially the Muslims, who are suffering, and we invite everyone to pray for a rapid and just solution to the conflict."

OP;APPEAL KOSOVO;...;CCEE; VLK;VIS;19990427;Word: 390;