[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 22005-22006]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   IN HONOR OF ARCHBISHOP FOUAD TWAL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 14, 2006

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Archbishop Fouad 
Twal and his accomplishments in working toward peace and ecumenical 
acceptance of all people. Archbishop Twal has served the Catholic 
Church for over 40 years in Tunisia, Honduras, Germany, Peru, Jordan, 
Palestine, the Vatican, and Jerusalem. His recent assignment in 
Jerusalem has led him to the distinguished positions as the Coadjutor 
Archbishop for the Latin

[[Page 22006]]

Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the President of the Bethlehem 
University.
  Archbishop Twal's distinguished career as a vessel of peace through 
the Roman Catholic Church began in 1966 when he was ordained. Rising 
through the ranks with remarkable swiftness, he received his Licentiate 
in Canon Law from the renowned Ecclesiastical Pontifical Academy. With 
a rich history of public service in peace efforts in the Middle East, 
he has served the Latin Patriarchate Parishes in Palestine and Jordan, 
as Archbishop of Tunisia, and in the Council of Political Affairs for 
the State Secretariat of the Vatican. This outstanding background was 
merely preparation for his appointment as Coadjutor Archbishop for the 
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in 
2005. There, he represents the Church's peace efforts in the war-torn 
region.
  In addressing efforts for peace in the Holy Land, Archbishop Twal 
steadfastly advocates a necessity for justice. In a land inundated by 
strife, conflict, and bloodshed, he envisions the Church as a ``voice 
of peace and forgiveness.'' It is this voice of reason, faith, and 
compassion that Archbishop Twal uses in building bridges instead of 
burning them. Instead of seeing the world in terms of Christians, Jews, 
and Muslims, Archbishop Twal has proclaimed, ``the Holy City is the 
mother of all the faithful children of Abraham.'' By giving respect to 
all groups involved in the struggle, he has commanded vast admiration 
from a variety of organizations representing differing viewpoints that 
are all interested in peace through justice.
  Much like his intellectual predecessors, Archbishop Twal has found 
that a nonviolent, faith-based approach to addressing even the most 
embittered situations of political strife is the most effective means 
by which to ensure a lasting, sustainable peace. As the President of 
Bethlehem University, he has continued to champion the peaceful 
Christian message through higher education, despite repeated military 
threats to shut the facility down by force. It is with this unwavering 
dedication to peaceful Christian values, combined with keen political 
insight, that Archbishop Twal continues to forge a reputation as a man 
of hope, peace, and understanding.
  Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honoring Archbishop 
Twal's continued and unrelenting commitment and resounding efforts to 
promoting peace through understanding, acceptance, and justice. His 
work for peace through justice stands as a beacon of guidance for the 
global peace movement as a whole.

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