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Our own military will be the first who will sacrifice their lives for public decisions made in our name
This Fr. Gerry Creedon homily was delivered at St. Charles on December 8, 2002
"A leather belt around his waist, his food was locust and wild honey". Another described John the Baptist as that 'bear of a man'. He was a prophet that stood out in an awkward and different way.
Phil Berrigan's Example
I learned yesterday that another prophetic figure in our Catholic Church, Phil Berrigan, passed away. Like John he provoked various reactions. He was a priest when he married Sister Elizabeth McAllister and that made Catholics wonder about him. However, he was a consistent witness against violence. He made a final statement as he was dying of cancer, "I die with a conviction, held since 1968 and Catonsville, that nuclear weapons are the scourge of the earth; to mine for them, manufacture them, deploy them, use them, is a curse against God, the human family, and the earth itself". He gave prophetic witness sometimes in ways that we all didn't appreciate, but his message of non-violence we need to take to heart.
We are at a time when some want to go to war because Saddam "might have" uranium that could lead to his possession of nuclear weapons. It is very clear that nuclear weapons in the hands of Saddam are not a good thing, but if you agree with Berrigan, nuclear arms in the hands of anyone are not a good thing.
The Church doesn't officially endorse the witness of Phil Berrigan. We make a distinction in magisterial teaching on nuclear weapons. We say it is wrong to use them but do not say it is wrong to possess them. The reason our Church teaches it is wrong to use nuclear weapons is because they cannot be used without mass destruction. Mass destruction of civilian populations violates our traditional ethic of just war and proportionality. Ridding this world of nuclear arms is part of the search for a more secure and saner world.
In this season of Advent the whole church prays for, longs for, and works for the coming of Jesus as the Prince of Peace. Our Christmas cards proclaim that message with the lion lying down with the lamb. It is a time of reconciliation and universal harmony. This ancient longing takes on a special poignancy, as the world seems poised for war.
Church Teaching on War and Peace
I would like to voice my convictions on our current situation cloaked in the language of the magisterium. You won't find these teachings on the front page of the newspapers. They may make it into the religious section on a Saturday, which few read, or even the diocesan newspaper. Yet, it is part of a priest's job to share the secrets of the magisterium.
"No one is justified in doing evil on the pretense of conquering evil" is a quote from a Bishop in Virginia. Pope John Paul writes, "Civilization can no longer resort to war as a means of resolving human problems. In the long run our only achievement is to create new enemies and the potential for more war." In an address he gave on September the 8th, 2002, Pope John Paul II said, "In its fight against terrorism, the international community is called to undertake new and creative political, diplomatic, and economic initiatives aimed at relieving the scandalous situations of gross injustice and marginalization which continue to oppress countless numbers of the human family. There can never be justification for violence and disregard for human life".
The US Catholic Bishops in a letter to President Bush on 9/13 urged the president to "step back from the brink of war and help lead the world to act together to fashion an effective global response that responds to traditional moral limits on the use of military force." They added that they didn't think the use of military force in this situation was warranted or morally justified and they had grave questions in regard to it. We are living in a time when our bishops have lost their voices and so we listen to other voices. It is time that we as a church community reflect again on the values of our tradition enunciated by our pope and magisterium.
In memory of all the prophets of non-violence that have gone before us, going back to John the Baptist who proclaimed truth to power and ended up with his head on a plate, let us witness to justice and to truth and let us pray for peace. Let us rethink our attitudes and our policies. Let us find alternatives to aggression, violence, and war. Let us remember that our own military will be the first who will sacrifice their lives for public decisions made in our name. Let us never discount civilian casualties, "collateral damage", in the decisions that are made.
As we light our second Advent candle let us work for peace in our own families and relationships. Let us work toward harmony, not through aggression or use of power and force, but though the ancient and noble disciplines of conversation, negotiations, and dialogue. May all of our Advent activities be a preparation for the one who is to come among us as the Prince of Peace.
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or 2002
Homilies
Revised/reviewed December 23,
2002