Pax Christi launch Iraq condolence book

The British section of Pax Christi, the international Catholic movement for peace, has this week launched a Condolence0 Book for those who died in war with Iraq. The message it carries says: We present our names as a gesture of sorrow and mourning for all who died in the 2003 war against Iraq, many of whose names are known only to God. We offer our prayers for those bereaved or injured. We feel only grief and regret at the suffering caused to the people of Iraq by an illegal and immoral war. We believe that the most authentic way to remember those who have died is to commit ourselves to work for greater justice in the world and create peaceful, nonviolent means of resolving future conflicts. The initiative, which has the support of the Baptist Peace Fellowship, CANA, CIIR, Community for Reconciliation, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Jesuit Refugee Service, Missionary Institute London, National Justice & Peace Network, Social Justice Desk-Conference of Religious, URC Peace Fellowship, is open to churches and communities around the country who wish to gather signatures. These will be collected and presented in June as Condolence Books to Iraqi representatives in London, to Mr Tony Blair and to the American Embassy in London. General Secretary of Pax Christi, Pat Gaffney said: " We see the initiative as an act of repentance and reconciliation - a gesture of our deep sorrow that so much suffering has been caused by war. There are never any winners or victors in war. As well as the deaths of British and US military personnel, there were more than 3,000 Iraqi civilians and tens of thousand Iraq soldiers killed in the war. Tragically, the people of Iraq are still without the real peace and justice they so long for. "