WASHINGTON -- Saying there is little evidence of an imminent threat to the United States, the nation's Catholic bishops overwhelming approved a resolution Wednesday opposing President Bush's threatened war against Iraq.

By a 228-14 vote, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said the administration lacked "clear and adequate evidence" that military action against Saddam Hussein would be morally justified.

"We fear that to resort to war, under present circumstances and in light of current public information, would not meet the strict conditions in Catholic teaching for overriding the strong presumption against the use of military force," the prelates said.

The bishops made it clear they had "no illusions about the behavior or intentions of the Iraqi government," and they called on the Hussein regime to cease internal repression and "abandon its efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction."

They praised President Bush for working with the U.N. Security Council to persuade Iraq to disarm and for seeking congressional approval before taking military action.

©2002 San Francisco Chronicle

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