President George W. Bush
President of the United States.

Tuesday, April 2, 2002

Dear Mr. President,

Peace and all good!

On behalf of my fellow Franciscan brothers all over the world and in particular those who are Custodians of the Church of the Nativity, in Bethlehem, and the residents of the town, both Muslim and Christian, I appeal to you to intervene to put an immediate stop to this latest and most serious escalation of violence here and in other parts of the Holy Land.

I support the urgent appeal sent to you by the leaders of the Christian churches in Jerusalem, Tuesday April 2, 2002, in which they make clear that you are the only politician who can do something to bring this tragic cycle of violence to an immediate end. The religious leaders highlight the fact of "wanton indiscriminate killings", as well as the many deprivations suffered by the civilian population.

As followers of St. Francis we commit ourselves to work with the men and women of the Holy Land to achieve a lasting and true peace based on real justice and forgiveness. We are convinced that the only way to resolve this conflict is through negotiation, however long and painful this process may be. We urge you to insist on dialogue as the only legitimate way forward.

Fr. Giacomo Bini ofm
Minister General with his Council
Order of Friars Minor

Custody Main