Amid rising tensions between the US and Venezuela and the attendant US military buildup in the Caribbean, the Antilles Episcopal Conference announced a day of prayer for peace.
“I appeal to the faithful to pray fervently for peace in our waters and for all affected; families mourning loved ones lost at sea; migrants fleeing hardship; workers in aviation, shipping and tourism; and especially the poor, who will suffer most from instability and rising costs,” said the president of the episcopal conference, Archbishop Jason Gordon of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
“Tanker seizures, the expansion of naval assets and airspace restrictions … affect the daily lives of our people,” he added. “As bishops of the Caribbean flock, we cannot remain silent when developments threaten human dignity, regional stability and the long-held vision of the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.”