wfn.org | [ENS] Presiding Bishop's statement on seizure of church

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Thursday, May 20, 2004

Presiding Bishop's statement on seizure of church property in Sudan

ENS 052004-2

[ENS] As the world continues to grieve the unending cycle of violence in the
Sudan, my attention is sadly drawn to the actions of the Sudanese government
in once again carrying out an act of aggression against the Episcopal Church
of Sudan (ECS).

This morning, armed police of the Government of Sudan entered the guesthouse
of the ECS in Khartoum-which also serves the Provincial Office--and ordered
the eviction of Church personnel and property from the building. The police
were acting on a court-issued eviction order in which the judge authorized
the use of force to ensure eviction. To avoid the use of force, Church staff
had no choice but to vacate the building peacefully while trying to follow
the legal process. They have since taken refuge in the Cathedral in Khartoum.

Today's actions follow a long history of Government aggression toward the
Church and interference in Church properties that has included the
confiscation of the old Khartoum Cathedral, attempts to confiscate the
headquarters of the Diocese of Khartoum in Omduran, and efforts to demolish
Church-run schools in the Diocese of Renk.

These events only add to the historic tragedy of Sudan, where-throughout 20
years of civil conflict--the ruling power relentlessly has carried out acts
of violence against its own people. Like the ongoing Government-sponsored
ethnic cleansing in Darfur in western Sudan, today's actions serve as a
somber reminder that, even at a time when many had hoped and prayed that
peace was on the horizon for the Sudan, violence remains a tragic reality. It
is of particular irony that earlier this week, the U.S. State Department
removed Sudan from its list of countries not cooperating with the War on
Terror.

I call upon the State Department and the U.S. Congress to join me in
condemning today's aggression against the Episcopal Church of Sudan, and to
demand that the Sudanese government immediately and safely return ECS
property and refrain from future acts of aggression against the Church.

My prayers are with the bishops, clergy, and people of the ECS--and all of
the people of the Sudan--that peace and order might finally emerge from
decades of violence and turmoil. May Christ's transforming love continue to
remain our hope in the midst of so much despair and brokenness.

The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church, USA

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