Washington (CNN) The late Sen. John McCain's widow is calling for civility in politics in a new op-ed in The Washington Post, encouraging members of Congress to act with civility as her husband did "for the country's sake."

"So today, I am asking all Americans to take a pledge of civility by committing to causes larger than ourselves and joining together across the aisle or whatever divides us to make the world a better place," Cindy McCain wrote Tuesday.

"When Congress returns from its August recess, I hope its veteran members, many of whom my husband was proud to call his friends, and its newest ones will energetically contest the issues of the day. I hope they will fight for their beliefs and enjoy the contest. But I hope, too, as John would, that they do it with minds open to the possibility of compromise for the country's sake, and hearts open to the possibility and joys of unexpected friendships," McCain wrote.

The op-ed comes nearly a week before the one-year anniversary of the passing of John McCain, who died of brain cancer at age 81. The Arizona senator and former Republican presidential nominee was known for his relationships with lawmakers from the other side of the aisle and his willingness to forge bipartisan solutions on different issues. After returning from brain surgery in July 2017, McCain himself pleaded for a return to a more civilized political age during a speech on the Senate floor.

In her op-ed, Cindy McCain, who said her late husband "knew (civility) instinctively," wrote that the senator "was a passionate partisan," adding that "he was a statesman, too, and statesmen accept the necessity of cooperation and compromise to make some progress on the challenges our country faces."

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