Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
5 September 2008
Monrovia — The Catholic bishops here have clarified that statements by individuals, whether laity or religious, calling for the establishment of a war crimes court for Liberia are not the official position of the Church.
In a statement Wednesday, the Catholic Bishops' Conference said all official statements of the Catholic Church of Liberia are made by the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference Rev. Lewis J. Zeigler or by the Secretary General Rev. Patrick M. Kabba.
The clarification comes in the wake of assertions by the Catholic administrator of Monrovia, Rev. Andrew Karnley, in support of the establishment of a war crimes tribunal to prosecute individuals who committed atrocities and crimes against humanity during the 14-year civil war in the country.
The call from within the Catholic Church had boosted confidence and support of a group known as the Forum for the Establishment of War Crimes Court in Liberia led by civil rights activist Mulba Morlu, whose group is advocating for the court, The News reported.
But the bishops said the position of the Church is very clear and unambiguous: that the Catholic Church supports the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) brokered in Ghana where Liberians settled for the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and not a war crimes court.
The Church further explained that, "As a matter of policy and tradition, the Catholic Church is represented by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Liberia, which comprises the bishops of the three dioceses in Liberia, which is presently headed by a president, Rev. Zeigler, while the day-to-day affairs of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Liberia are run by the Secretary General, Rev. Kabba.
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As a national church leader with ties to churches in Liberia, I wonder what the Chatolic Church is afraid of by not supporting the setting up of a war crimes court in Liberia. To me, Liberia ought to hace the opportunity itself, to decide this matter and to try those who are convicted of war crimes. So much pain, terrible injustices, murdered mothers and children, And a church is afraid of those seeking justice.
I was there at the outbreak of Taylor's overthrow. I congratulate those who would dare rise up to do battle with a despot. But there were some in the group who overthrew Taylor that need to face the law of justice and answer for the crimes they committed against the people they claimed to be liberators for. All war crimes need to be address no matter which side committed them.
Rev. Dr. Galen Tracy General Superintendent Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ Canada, Inc. the founding church of the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ Liberia, Inc.