'Build peace' in Middle East
Catholic Weekly (18 August 2002)
A wife, mother and former schoolteacher from Mexico City has appealed to the UN on behalf of Catholic women worldwide to work for a peaceful end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts.
Writing to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was one of Maria Eugenia Diaz de Pfennich's first actions upon becoming a member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
It is the second Vatican appointment for Maria Eugenia, who is general president of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organ isations, of which Catholic Women's League Australia is a member. The first was in April to the Pontifical Council of the Laity In her letter to the UN leader, she called on him to use his "high moral authority" to achieve an easing of hostilities and to tend to the needs of the weakest, especially women and children, in the region.
She believes Palestinian and Israeli women must be involved in all levels of negotiations to help ensure peace and asked Mr Annan to "encourage the participation of women in seeking ways to stop the deceits, rancour and hate and to help change hearts and build peace based on justice".
Maria is a mini-United Nations herself. She is a Mexican of American Indian, Spanish and Lebanese descent, is married to an Austrian, speaks Spanish, English and French and understands German.
She has spent 30 years teaching and 46 years in leadership roles for Catholic women's organisations.
She has been general president of the World Union since 1996.
