Vatican Bishops Condemn The CIA’s Torture As A Betrayal Of American Values

U.S. bishops have declared that CIA torture is a betrayal of human values and should no longer be used as an interrogation technique.

This is not the first time CIA torture has been in the news recently. According to a report from the Inquisitr, a graphic Senate report containing an examination of CIA torture techniques that was released by the Senate Intelligence Committee concluded that the harsh interrogation methods used by the CIA were not effective in obtaining information from detainees or getting them to cooperate with the agency.

Bishop Oscar Cantu recently spoke out on the 500-page report, denouncing the CIA’s use of torture. In a December 13 interview with Vatican Radio, Bishop Cantu said, “We have placed ourselves through our history as a beacon of hope, a beacon of reason, of freedom: and so, this recent chapter in our history has tarnished that.” He noted, “It is not something that can be easily regained, but I think that the publishing of this report begins the cleaning up of that tarnishing of our reputation as a nation that is on sound moral footing.”

“The Catholic Church firmly believes that torture is an ‘intrinsic evil’ that cannot be justified under any circumstance,” Bishop Cantu said. “The acts of torture described in the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report violated the God-given human dignity inherent in all people and were unequivocally wrong. Congress and the president should act to strengthen the legal prohibitions against torture and to ensure that this never happens again.”

U.S. bishops are not the only one condemning CIA torture. The American Medical Association was clear on its opposition. The group also cited the violation of moral values and basic human rights. “The AMA has taken a clear stand that the participation of physicians in torture and coercive interrogation is a violation of core ethical values. We firmly believe that U.S. policies on detainee treatment must comport with the AMA’s Code of Medical Ethics and the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Tokyo, which forcefully state medicine’s opposition to torture or coercive interrogation and prohibit physician participation in such activities.”

U.S. bishops speaking out against CIA torture and claiming it as a violation of American values will hopefully decrease the tactic used by U.S. officials.

[Image via Reuters]