Come on out!

Well, here we go. The Democratic Convention is less than a
week away. And by the end of it, we should have a pretty clear sense of how
strong the Kerry-Edwards ticket will be. The big question: whether party
leaders are so afraid of offending anybody that the campaign will be little
more than centrist mush. If that’s the case, we can start preparing now for
four more years of Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, and Ashcroft.

            The signs
so far are not encouraging — the Kerry-Edwards war votes and subsequent
explanations, for starters. And now there’s the hiding-behind-States-Rights on
same-sex marriage. I can understand fundamentalist Christians who oppose
same-sex marriage because of religious beliefs and who also oppose a
constitutional amendment on the basis of States Rights.

            But it’s
simply beyond me how you can support equal rights for all, regardless of sexual
orientation, and oppose gay marriage. That’s the stand Kerry and Edwards have
taken, and it is deeply, deeply troubling. I don’t know which is worse: holding
that conviction sincerely (meaning that they haven’t come to terms with their
own homophobia) or cynically taking that stand.

            Kerry and
Edwards are clinging to the States Rights argument. Lordy, lordy; I remember
that kind of dodging from my growing-up in the South.

            Maybe
they’ll find their conscience before they get to the podium next week in Boston.
If not, I hope some convention speaker does. It is time for truth. And courage.
And leadership.

            And it’s
way the heck past time for justice.

Paths to peace

I wonder sometimes how anti-war activists muster the energy to
press on — and to search for new ways to get the message out. But a group of
Rochester-area Catholics has been doing just that this summer.

            Among their
activities: holding two June conferences, one in Rochester
and one in Geneva, on the topic
“Seeking Peace: Catholics, as Followers of Christ, Respond to the On-going War
in Iraq.”

            The events,
the initiative of the Social Justice Ministry Committee of Corpus
ChristiChurch in Rochester,
were an attempt “to bring the issue to the forefront,” says committee member
Jan Bezila, “to get it discussed and get it on the agenda of our local
churches.”

            Catholics,
like Americans of other faiths, aren’t at all united on the issue of US
action in Iraq.
While Pope John Paul II has spoken out repeatedly against the war, many people
of deep faith are convinced that the US
has done the right thing.

            “We did not
approach this from a political angle,” says Bezila. “We approached it from a
faith angle. The talk was: What does Jesus preach? How do we as Christians
respond?”

            Bezila and
other conference organizers have compiled a list of possible actions suggested
by those at the conferences. Among them: in their homilies, pastors could
discuss “the teaching of Jesus and the early church regarding Christian
participation in warfare.” Parishes could bring in guest speakers — people
who “have traveled to Iraq
and other war-torn countries or lived through war as civilian peacemakers.”

            Parishes
could hold seminars, retreats, and study groups on nonviolence. They could
affiliate with the Pax Christi USA organization. They could educate young
people on peacemaking, and discuss issues such as the draft and conscientious
objection. They could “provide access to alternative and balanced information”:
videos from Pax Christi, for example. They could disseminate “statistical
information on the dead and wounded on both sides.”

            Parishes
could say prayers for peace at each mass; they could pray for “Christian
ability to love our neighbor and do good to our enemies.” They could establish
prayer groups for peace and hold “services of commitment and mourning.” They
could issue public statements calling for an end to hostilities and adherence
to international law.

            The
conference organizers have sent their suggestions to Bishop Matthew Clark and
are discussing how they might disseminate their material more widely. Overall,
it’s a small action by a small segment of the large American Catholic
community. But the statement of concerns and convictions of those in attendance
at the Rochester conference,
compiled after the event, is a powerful one. And it has the potential to prick
consciences and generate action.

            Here’s the
statement:

            “War is
never the way of Jesus. As the heinous aspects of the current US
war in Iraq
become more apparent daily, our consciences can no longer bear what is being
enacted in our names.

            “These are
dark times in which Christians must speak out. It is our responsibility to do
so.

            “Church
talk of justified war leads to the inevitable evil of giving credence to a
theory which has never been accepted as doctrine at the highest level of Church
teaching, and which is, in fact, in opposition to Jesus’ command of
unconditional love of enemies, as well as in opposition to His requirement of
returning only good for evil.

            “Jesus’ life
showed a continual preference for the poor and lowly. Yet our waging of war
reverses the works of mercy and drains resources so desperately needed by the
poor for survival. As followers of Christ, we stand in solidarity with all who
have suffered losses and who continue to suffer as the result of this military
action.

            “We call
for an immediate end to the use of military force, and for a return of
political and economic sovereignty to the Iraqi people, as stipulated under
international law.

            “As Our Holy
Father, Pope John Paul II, has continually voiced his opposition to this US war
on Iraq, we call on Church leaders and teachers — particularly we entreat our
bishop and priests — to speak out continually, faithfully, and boldly in
opposition to this and to all wars.”

This article appears in Jul 21-27, 2004.