NEWS
SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER 
IN THE UNITED STATES

and

THIRD ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST. FRANCIS,
PROVINCE OF THE AMERICAS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Nov. 21, 2004

CONTACT: 	Mary and Bob Stronach, SFO
		315-796-9284

CATHOLIC AND ANGLICAN SECULAR FRANCISCANS
CALL FOR INTERVENTION AND AID FOR THE SUDAN

Nov. 21, 2004 – Secular Franciscan orders in the Roman Catholic and Episcopal/Anglican communions issued a statement today calling for immediate intervention in the Sudan and international mobilization of humanitarian aid.

"Together with those suffering in the Sudan, we cry for an end to genocide, war, oppression, famine and forced exile," the statement said. "We call on the international community to intervene directly to relieve the suffering of our sisters and brothers of the Sudan."

The statement came out of a recent U.S. gathering of the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO) held near Detroit, MI. The meeting included a representative of the Anglican's Third Order of the Society of St. Francis (TSSF), Province of the Americas, which subsequently voted to join in the statement.

The statement reaffirmed a July 28th letter from National Minister Carol Gentile, SFO, to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, supporting his labeling the situation in Sudan as genocide and his calling for intervention and coordination of international aid.

In conjunction with issuing the Sudan statement, national and regional Secular Franciscan leaders began raising funds for Catholic Relief Service aid to the Sudan.

The SFO and the TSSF consist of men and women, single and married, lay and clerical, who commit themselves to follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the Rule of St. Francis. 

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SUDAN STATEMENT / Page 2

TEXT OF THE FRANCISCAN STATEMENT ON THE SUDAN

"We…(the Secular Franciscan Order in the United States and the Third Order of the Society of St. Francis, Province of the Americas) pledge our solidarity with all of our sisters and brothers of the Sudan suffering the horror of genocide and the injustices of war, oppression, famine and forced exile.

As members of the human family, we fully believe that the sanctity of all human life and the inherent dignity of the human person must be the foundation of all social action.

We completely affirm the July 28, 2004 letter from National Minister Carol Gentile, SFO, to the United States Secretary of State Colin Powell, in which she stated our support of his labeling the situation in the Sudan as 'genocide' and his calling for immediate intervention in the Sudan and coordination of an international mobilization of humanitarian aid for all the displaced people.

Together with those suffering in the Sudan, we cry for an end to genocide, war, oppression, famine and forced exile.

We call on the international community to intervene directly to relieve the suffering of our sisters and brothers of the Sudan."

- Carol Gentile, SFO, National Minister
- Fr. Masud Ibn Syedullah, TSSF, Minister Provincial

Nov. 21, 2004

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