The Catholic bishops of Sri Lanka are calling on the nation’s government, political parties and the people to resolve the political and constitutional crisis peace-fully, keeping in mind the good of the people. The political turmoil engulfed Sri Lanka after Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and swore in ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa to replace him.

Wickremesinghe said his sacking was illegal and he maintained that he was still prime minister, leading to a standoff between his party and labour unions loyal to Sirisena.

The following day, Sirisena suspended Parliament until November 6, in an apparent move to give Rajapaksa time to muster enough support to survive any no-confidence vote.

“Everyone should keep in mind that, if there is instability in the country, it is the people who suffer,” said a statement signed by Bishop Winston S. Fernando of Badulla, the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka. “We sincerely appeal to all political parties to put aside their interests and respect the Constitution of the Republic of Sri Lanka to resolve the ongoing conflict,” Bishop Fernando wrote in the statement which he forwarded to the Vatican’s Fides news agency.