London: bishops express solidarity with Church in Zimbabwe
Following a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, Rt Rev Crispian Hollis, Bishop of Portsmouth and Chairman of the International Affairs Department, expressed his solidarity with the Bishops of Zimbabwe in their opposition to the campaign of mass evictions that President Robert Mugabe has ordered to be carried out in Harare and other cities. Bishop Hollis said: "The so-called 'Operation Restore Order` that the Zimbabwean authorities have inflicted on thousands of vulnerable and poor people is cruel and unnecessary. The Zimbabwean bishops have made clear their grave concern at the government's policy and to the widespread suffering that it has caused. Indeed, they have described the operation as a 'gross injustice to the poor`. In very difficult circumstances, the Zimbabwean Church is giving a courageous witness to the Gospel and I want to express publicly our solidarity with the Bishops' Conference as it continues its work for justice and peace." Source: CCN