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Peace -- we need to seek nothing less than peace. We need to change the culture of violence and the culture of war that exists, particularly in our country. If you want to prevent this kind of thing from happening again, you need to look beyond the '04 election and you need to look to change the culture. Yes, we need to get rid of the warmongers that are running all three branches of government. But, it won't make a difference if they are simply replaced by another group of warmongers. There is a fundamental cultural issue that must be dealt with here. And until we deal with it, we will always be somewhere near the brink of disaster...sometimes closer (like now), sometimes farther away...but we will always be averting the train from going over that one bridge.
(snip)"NO TO WAR"! War is not always inevitable. It is always a defeat for humanity. International law, honest dialogue, solidarity between States, the noble exercise of diplomacy: these are methods worthy of individuals and nations in resolving their differences. I say this as I think of those who still place their trust in nuclear weapons and of the all-too-numerous conflicts which continue to hold hostage our brothers and sisters in humanity. At Christmas, Bethlehem reminded us of the unresolved crisis in the Middle East, where two peoples, Israeli and Palestinian, are called to live side-by-side, equally free and sovereign, in mutual respect. Without needing to repeat what I said to you last year on this occasion, I will simply add today, faced with the constant degeneration of the crisis in the Middle East, that the solution will never be imposed by recourse to terrorism or armed conflict, as if military victories could be the solution. And what are we to say of the threat of a war which could strike the people of Iraq, the land of the Prophets, a people already sorely tried by more than twelve years of embargo? War is never just another means that one can choose to employ for settling differences between nations. As the Charter of the United Nations Organization and international law itself remind us, war cannot be decided upon, even when it is a matter of ensuring the common good, except as the very last option and in accordance with very strict conditions, without ignoring the consequences for the civilian population both during and after the military operations.(snip)
State of the World, According to John Paul II, Jan 13, 2003
We affirm the words of the Catechism: "hose who are sworn to serve their country in the armed forces are servants of the security and freedom of nations. If they carry out their duty honorably, they truly contribute to the common good of the nation and the maintenance of peace" (#2310). We also affirm that "ublic authorities should make equitable provision for those who for reasons of conscience refuse to bear arms" (#2311). We support those who have accepted the call to serve their country in a conscientious way in the armed services and we reiterate our long-standing support for those who pursue conscientious objection and selective conscientious objection.
The moral conduct of war. Once the decision to use military force is taken, the moral and legal constraints on the conduct of war must be observed. The United States and its allies are at war with a regime that has shown, and we fear will continue to show, a disregard for civilian lives and traditional norms governing the use of force. All the more reason that our nation upholds and reinforces these values by its own actions. While we recognize and welcome the improved capability and commitment to avoid civilian casualties, every effort must be made to ensure that efforts to reduce the risk to U.S. forces are limited by careful judgments of military necessity and the duty to respect the lives and dignity of Iraqi civilians, who have suffered so much already from war, repression, and a debilitating embargo. (editorial comment from me: this statement seems particularly poignant in light of recent revelations)
(snip)
Humanitarian concerns and post-war obligations. An already vulnerable Iraqi population could face terrible new burdens during this war, and a region already full of conflict and refugees could see more conflict and many more displaced persons with nowhere to go. Even amidst the chaos of war, every effort must be made to prevent internal strife and to protect vulnerable groups. We are deeply concerned that adequate resources and effective plans be put in place to address the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, which, at least in the short term, will be worsened by war. The United States, working with the United Nations, private relief organizations, and all interested parties, bears a heavy burden, during and after the war, of providing for POWs and the civilian population, especially refugees and displaced persons. Catholic relief agencies will continue to do all that they can to respond to the needs of the Iraqi people.
The United States also must accept the long-term responsibility to help Iraqis build a just and enduring peace in their country, while also addressing the many serious unresolved issues in the Middle East, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. War and reconstruction in Iraq must not result in an abandonment of our nation's responsibilities to the poor at home and abroad, or a diversion of essential resources from other humanitarian emergencies around the world.
Bishop Gregory's Statement on War with Iraq, Mar 20, 2003 (Bishop Gregory is the president of the US Council of Catholic Bishops)
The awareness of the most emphasized interdependence among nations and of the risks of reciprocal destruction requires a major accent on multilateralism, which, far from putting an undue emphasis on force or selective treaty enforcement, requires all the States and individuals to enforce decisively the laws and procedures that have been established towards nuclear disarmament and the elimination of the threats posed by conventional arms.
This is the moment that each one of us, aware of the gravity of the present situation when law must be chosen to prevail over force, must be animated by a profound sense of responsibility toward the disarmament process. The most effective way to make every member of the international community comply with its own commitments appears to be the clear willingness on behalf of everyone and of all States to comply with their own commitments within treaties and between them in a genuine spirit of multilateralism.
Vatican Observer's Statement to U.N. Panel on Disarmament, Apr 2, 2003
We all witnessed to the development of egocentric passions within our own borders, ethnic groups and nations. Sometimes even religion was subjected to violence. Within a few days we will recall the tragic attack on the twin towers in New York. Unfortunately, together with the towers, also many hopes of peace seem to have collapsed. Wars and conflicts continue to prosper and poison the life of many people, mostly of the poorest countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. I am thinking of dozens of ongoing wars and the widespread war that terrorism represents.
When will these conflicts cease? When will people finally see a reconciled world? We will not facilitate the peace process by allowing, with guilty indifference, injustice and to prosper in our planet. Poor countries often became places of desperation, forgers of violence. We do not want to allow war to dominate the life of the world and of peoples. We do not want to accept poverty as the constant companion of all nations' existence. So we ask: What shall we do? And, moreover, what can believers do? How can peace be affirmed in this time full of wars? I believe, therefore, that these "International Meetings of Prayer for Peace," organized by the Community of Sant'Egidio, are already a concrete answer to these questions. They have taken place for 17 years, and their fruits of peace are evident. Every year people from different faiths meet, get to know one another, dissolve tensions, learn to live together, and share a common responsibility toward peace.
Pope's Message to 17th International Meeting of Prayer for Peace, Sep 8, 2003
Peace is above all about those who are realistic enough to recognize that in spite of the downsides of human nature and society, peace is possible. No effort should be spared in achieving it. For this, peace must be willed, earned and shared as a common good of humanity.
If we look at the hotbeds of wars in our time, we cannot but ask ourselves how mass media, politicians and public authorities depict the realities surrounding those conflicts. Does the media to which those affected populations are exposed propose peace; do public statements and comments speak of peace; do school books teach the ways of peace; do conversation that young people have within their families and among their peers prepare them for peace?
Mr. President, the reasons that are given to justify conflicts must be duly addressed, before, during and after they occur. The necessity to impose an armed defense to dissuade the other party from becoming an enemy should be prudently and carefully weighed against an equal necessity to reach out to the other party, beyond any presumed or alleged enmity, leaving always the door open for all possible peaceful solutions. Consequently, when those who bear the responsibility and the obligation to defend peace and order are called upon to decide whether or not to take up legitimate defense, their decision must be subject to the rigorous conditions given within the moral order because such actions can be justified only when all peaceful means of resolving the crisis have been proven to be impractical, ineffective or impossible.
Mr. President, unlike the culture of war, the culture of peace entails an ethical approach to life. It shows the right and secure path that leads to the respect for life. War "destroys the life of innocent people, teaches how to kill, throws into upheaval even the lives of those who do the killing and leaves behind a trail of resentment and hatred, thus making it all the more difficult to find a just solution to the very problems which provoked the war" (Pope John Paul II, "Centesimus Annus," #52).
This year the United Nations celebrates the fifty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. This event calls everyone to the fundamental recognition of the full dignity of every human being. From such recognition springs the right to peace. But, when peace loses its value in society and its importance in public policy, human rights and international obligations become jeopardized and compromised.
Peace is an enterprise of justice. At the root of war, and in particular of terrorism, a type of armed aggression which we are sadly experiencing in our present age, we find serious grievances that are yet to be addressed by the international community: injustices suffered, legitimate aspirations frustrated, abject poverty, discrimination, intolerance, and exploitation of multitudes of desperate people who have no real hope of improving their lives. Such injustices incite violence, and every injustice can lead to war.
Address to U.N. on "Culture of Peace", Nov 11, 2003 There have been a lot of folks who have bashed all of Christianity for this war. I can think of one group, some quotes that have been cited above, that has consistently and unambiguously opposed war. I cannot say it better than they have. Fault them how you may on other issues, we should be applauding their consistent effort for peace. They have gone beyond addressing the surface issue of preventing conflict, but have addressed the root causes that address the tendency to war. I would ask that you also consider these words and how they might apply to your own life and your own politics. I did a few years ago and it changed the entire way I looked at my life and at the world around me. |
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