Content in this issue:

1.     Some Franciscan Peace Initiatives against the war in Iraq.

2.     Diplomatic, Political and Pastoral Initiatives for peace by John Paul II during February 2003.

3.     Other JPIC News.

4.     Urgent Action Request –Christians surrounded by a wall.

5.     Request for prayers for Ed Dunn ofm.

 

GG.CC. Article 69

1. In protecting the rights of the oppressed, the friars are to renounce

violent action and have recourse to means that are otherwise available

even to the powerless (1).

 

2. Conscious also of the terrible dangers that threaten the human race,

the friars are to denounce in the strongest terms every kind of warlike

action and the arms race as a very serious calamity for the world and a

very great injury to the poor; they are to spare neither work nor

sacrifice to build up God's kingdom of peace.

 

Pope calls for prayer and fasting, March 5, Ash Wednesday:

"It is a duty of believers, regardless of the religion to which they belong, to proclaim that we will never be able to be happy if we are against one another; the future of humanity will never be able to be assured by terrorism and the logic of war.” "We Christians, in particular, are called to be like guardians of peace in the places where we live and work," he explained. "We are asked, that is, to be alert, so that consciences will not yield to the temptation to egoism, falsehood and violence."
Because of this, the Pontiff invited "all Catholics to dedicate with special intensity next March 5th, Ash Wednesday, to prayer and fasting for the cause of peace, especially in the Middle East."

 

Some Franciscan Peace Initiatives against the war in Iraq

 

Everyone has been receiving lots of information regarding a more than likely war in Iraq. I will refer you to some excellent resources on the internet at the end of this section, if you wish to study the implications of war and/or the morality of such an act. I would like to draw you attention to some of the Franciscan initiatives that we are aware of in the Rome JPIC office. We are placing these statements on our web page under a special section entitled “War and Peace in Iraq”.

 

1.     European JPIC Continental meeting, Assisi, October 2002: They stated that “as sons of St Francis, who practiced and taught reconciliation, pardon, dialogue, nonviolence, love for cultures, (they) express absolute rejection for war as a means of resolving conflict. War kills, produces poverty, engenders hate and destroys creation.”

2.     JPIC Animators of the Americas: The JPIC animators from most of the provinces of the Continent of America (North, Central and South) registered their opposition to war in Iraq stating that “the way to peace is through dialogue”.

3.     Animation Committee of the JPIC International Council, San Pablo, Brazil, February 3, 2003: They reiterated the sentiments of many Franciscans and joined “with the pronouncements made by Pope John Paul II and the leaders of all the major religions of the world, and express our opposition to the build up to war in Iraq.” While recognizing the “excesses of the current regime in Iraq”, they doubted that the policies of the United States and it allies would lead to “a just and lasting solution”. They reject the theory of pre-emptive strike.

4.     "Appeal to the Conscience and Fast near the U.N”: This initiative took place in New York, February 16-22, 2003, promoted by Alain Richard ofm, along with ten other people, members of different peace organizations. They fasted, taking only water, prayed and lobbied in the United Nations for a week. Their desire was to “create a climate of mutual understanding”. By this action in gandhian tradition they wished :

Ø      To encourage each person to take a sufficiently long look at the situation to be true to their deepest humanity.

Ø      To support all those in the world seeking ways other than warfare;

Ø      To respectfully invite the Iraqi government to fully comply with the UN resolution in order to allay all suspicion, in spite of the humiliation to that nation ensuing from such an inquiry.

5.     JPIC commission of the Franciscan Family of Spain: During their meeting in Madrid, February 22/23 they expressed their opposition to the war in Iraq. Quoting from the document Pacem in Terras #87, they call on the Spanish Government to be leaders in efforts to build peace, because this is what the vast majority of the population wishes. They also called on the Governments of Iraq and Israel to effectively implement the United Nations resolutions concerning them. They also reject the embargo on Iraq leading to untold suffering for the civilian population.

6.     German Franciscans pray and protest against the war: On Friday the 17th of January, the anniversary of second gulf war, six Franciscans participated in a demonstration against a war in Iraq at the US Air Base in Frankfurt Main, Germany. The initiative was organized by "Religious for Peace" and "Pax Christi". With their slogan "War needs capital - Capital needs war", they wanted to draw attention to the fact that the real roots of this and of many other wars are found in capitalism. They prayed and sang in front of the entrance to the Air Base. Then most of the 90 demonstrators sat down and blocked the entrance. The police arrested 34 people, including a friar, for some hours to establish their identity. A regular prayer is planned every Sunday for one hour.

7.     Petition to the Minister General to Intervene with the Vatican: Members of Pace e Bene nonviolence organization, Las Vegas, asked the JPIC office to help them connect with the Vatican through the Minister General in order to encourage Pope John Paul II to either, make a visit to President Bush, and/or make a prayer pilgrimage to Iraq for peace.

8.     English Provincial stance on Iraq: The JPIC secretariat “is opposed to the military build up in the Persian arena in preparation for pre-emptive military hostilities with Iraq… It calls on and urges the representatives of the International Community to continue to seek a peaceful, just, and diplomatic solution to this very serious situation. They believe there is no mandate for pre-emptive military hostilities… against Iraq in the United Nations Security Resolution 14.4 since the ‘serious consequences’ for ‘material breach’ are not specified. …Such action, if undertaken without further reference to the Security Council of the United Nations and a new Security Council Resolution, will place the United States and Great Britain in breach of International Law. The JPIC Secretariat, therefore, asks that the UN Weapons Inspectorate be given more time to complete their task(s)…” The commission also appealed to the brothers to support the February 15^th March for Peace, which attracted over a million people in London.

9.     Conference of Provincials of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean: In a letter directed to Mr. George Bush, February 12, 2003, the Provincials and the participants at the Conference meeting, representing ten countries and a thousand Franciscans, reiterated their desire for peace and a rejection of war against Iraq. They also stated their rejection of the concept of a pre-emptive war and added “ that the community of nations is offering different diplomatic options for the conflict and we believe that they should be taken seriously.” They joined their voice to that of members of the Mexican Council for religious who prayed and fasted in front of the US embassy in Mexico calling for “a nonviolent resolution to the conflict”.

10.  English Speaking Conference of Provincials: The provincials wrote to Presidents Bush and Blair in October 2002. They stated: “ We do not believe in the use of chemicals, biological or nuclear weapons – by any country. Your attempts to scare the public into believing that Iraq is primed to use weapons are not based on hard evidence. We ask you to honour existing U.N. Resolutions and to cease planning for military action in Iraq.”

11.  Human Shields in Iraq: The JPIC office has received some enquiries from Franciscans about participating as human shields in Iraq. The office has been in contact with the Dominicans, who have a presence there, asking them to inform us if such an initiative by Franciscans would be beneficial or counter-productive. We await their reply. Friar Gerry Zawada, recently released from prison in the United States for his opposition to the School of the Americas, made a visit to Iraq. In an interview from Baghdad he stated: “ In the heart of God there is no room for the killing of innocent people and that’s what would happen if war comes to Iraq”.

12.  Ecumenical Prayer for Peace 2003: Circulated by Bro. Herman Schalück. Go to http://www.ofm-jpic.org/other/whatsnew.html or to the new Mission web page: www.missio-aachen.de

13.  Franciscans in Chile pray for peace and send a letter to the United Nations.

14.  Franciscan joins delegation for Peace: Joe Nangle ofm, English Speaking JPIC commission, visited Rome, February 26/27, as a member of a Pax Christi-USA/National Council of Churches delegation for a series of meetings on the Iraq crisis. They met with Vatican officials, including the Pontifical Justice and Peace commission. The National Council of Churches has sponsored several delegations to European capitals in order to strengthen their opposition to Bush's war.

 

Diplomatic, Political and Pastoral Initiatives for peace by John Paul II during February 2003: Source - (www.Zenit.org)

 

1.     Feb. 8, the Holy Father called for the "multiplication of efforts" in favour of peace, as "we cannot be hindered by acts of terrorism, or by the threats that are gathering on the horizon”
"It is, therefore, ever more urgent to proclaim the gospel of peace to a humanity strongly tempted by hatred and violence," the Pope said, as he met with priests and bishops of the community of St. Egidio, a Catholic movement founded in Rome in 1968. "At this time of international concern," we are led "to think that only an intervention from on high can give reason to hope for a brighter future," he said, quoting his own words from Rosarium Virginis Mariae.

2.     FEB. 9, Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The presence of a papal envoy in the Mideast is an important testimony for Muslims and Iraqis of the Church's rejection of war, an archbishop says. The Cardinal was mandated by the Pope to remind Iraqi authorities about their grave responsibility to avoid the war and to comply with their international duties. Cardinal Etchegaray told the press: "I have come for a spiritual mission of peace. "The purpose of the papal mission is to demonstrate to all the Holy Father's solicitude in favour of peace, and then to help Iraqi authorities to undertake a serious reflection on the duty of effective international cooperation, based on justice and international law, in order to assure those peoples of the supreme good of peace," The archbishop described the Iraqi people as "distressed and morally exhausted, consumed by the long embargo."

 

3.     FEB. 13, - John Paul II in his meeting Friday with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz will stress the need for Baghdad to collaborate "in an effective manner" with the United Nations to avoid war. Vatican spokesman Navarro-Valls said that the Holy Father "is not a pacifist." Rather, the Pope insists on respect for international law, convinced that it is the moral responsibility "of all sides" to avoid war, Navarro-Valls said.

 

4.     Angelo Sodano: "The Holy See is not pacifist at all cost, as it admits legitimate defence on the part of states," the Vatican secretary of state.

 

5.     FEB. 18, 2003 John Paul II and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan stressed the "essential role" of the United Nations and the fact that "just and effective solutions to the challenges of the moment can still be found by respecting international legality, of which the United Nations is guarantor," the spokesman.

6.     FEB. 20, 2003 The Pope stated when he received a delegation from Indonesia of eminent Muslim, Christian, Hindu and Buddhist representatives (GMNI), that coexistence is possible. The Pope, in his address to the group, recalled his own words of Jan. 13 to ambassadors accredited to the Vatican: "War is always a defeat for humanity." On this occasion, he added: "It is also a tragedy for religion." Neither "the threat of war nor war itself should be allowed to alienate Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and members of other religions," the Pope stressed. Muslim intellectual Nurcholish Madjid expressed concern that the "conflict may be interpreted as a war of religion with the consequent spread of fundamentalist violence in Indonesia and all over the world."

 

7.     FEB. 24, A unilateral war against Iraq, without the approval of the U.N. Security Council, would be a "crime against peace," says Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran. Vatican secretary for relations with states was referring to Paragraph 4 of Article 2 of the U.N. Charter, which states that nations must not engage in war as a means to resolve international differences.

 

8.     FEB. 27, John Paul II, meeting with Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar, expressed the hope "that all parties involved -- without exception -- will make just decisions and undertake peaceful initiatives that are efficacious and that conform to justice, inspired by international law and ethical principles,"

 

 

 

Urgent Action request - Bethlehem and the wall: The JPIC office received an urgent action requeste from the Latin Patriarch, Michel Sabbah, and The Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Giovanni Battistelli OFM, to help stop the encirclement of sixty Christian families by a wall, near Rachel’s Tomb. The families are being encircled, isolated and deprived of all services, and have only a small entrance, through an eight-meter high wall, that will also isolate the city of Bethlehem from Jerusalem and the other Territories. The JPIC office urges the Government of Israel, regardless of the reasons for the wall and the line it follows, to avoid encircling, trapping and isolating these Christian families. Along with an appeal made by Franciscans International the office requests Franciscans, to appeal by letter, fax, and email to the Government of Israel, to avoid encircling, trapping and isolating these Christian families.

Please write, fax or e-mail to:

 

H.E. Mr. Ariel Sharon                                    H.E. Mr. Silvan Shalom

Prime Minister                                                Minister of Foreign Affairs

Office of the Prime Minister                          Hakirya Romena

3 Kaplan Street                                               Jerusalem 91950

P.O. Box 187                                                  Israel                                                  

Kiryat Ben Gurion                                          Fax: + 972 2 530 3367

Jerusalem 91919                                             sar@mofa.gov.il

Israel

Fax: +972 2 651 2631

e-mail: pm_eng@pmo.gov.il

 

 

 

New JPIC Animation Committee: The General Definitory appointed a new JPIC animation committee of the International Council during their January 2003 meeting. Joe Rozansky (Holy Name, N.Y) and Alejandro Castillo (Holy Gospel, Mexico) have been reappointed. Teddy Lennon (South Africa) and Cesare Azzimonti (Italy) have been named. Bobby Vadakkal (India) and Jurgen Neitzert (Germany) were thanked for their valuable and generous contributions to JPIC work in the Order.

 

2003, International Year of water: A World Social Forum style conference will be held in Florence March 21/22 to discuss the issue of water, particularly the dangers for humanity of the privatisation of this “blue gold”. Many human rights activists are campaigning to have access to water recognized as a human right and not another commodity for the market. For further information regarding the conference to: http://www.cipsi.it/contrattoacqua/forum-acqua/ The inter-congregational JPIC promoters ecological working group, of which the OFM JPIC office is a member, is working on a publication to help men and women religious reflect on this issue. They hope to have it ready by April, after which the process of translating into different languages will take place. To date the climate change document has been translated into 14 languages and can be accessed at www.ofm-jpic.org/globalwarming/download.html

 

Study on Inserted fraternities: Eleven participants at the JPIC Americas Continental meeting decided to elaborate a document in order to ensure that the experiences regarding inserted fraternities are not lost, as well as offering ideas to provinces who would like to establish some. The brothers agreed to follow the “see, judge and act” methodology. The following is the schema agreed upon at the meeting, attended by brothers from several provinces. Section 1, History; Section 11, Experiences (objectives, participants, support, JPIC involvement, living of Franciscan values, perception of others towards the fraternity, photos); Section 111, Theoretical underpinning (Biblical/histological, ecclesiological and Franciscan); Section IV, Results, challenges and proposals. All friars are invited to support this process. Please send ideas and information to the following brothers. For Section 1 and IV, Fernando Figueredo G. at: jprcsanpablo@tutopia.com o a: berleru@tutopia.com ; Section II, Luciano Bruxel at cpca@cpovo.net; The final redaction of the document will be done by Carmelo Galdós (Bolivia) y Manuel Alvarado (Chile).

 

OFM-Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission (JPIC) at the World Social Forum (WSF) "Another World Is Possible"

The JPIC Animation Commission of the Order and a member of the English Speaking-JPIC Council, representatives from Franciscans International, and a hundred other Franciscans, participated in the third WSF in Porto Alegre, Brazil, 23-28 of January, 2003. One of the eight members of the organizing committee of the WSF describes the WSF "as an initiative designed to overcome neoliberal globalisation and bring about a globalisation based on solidarity, democracy, and sustainability." The Forum, attended by more than 100,000 people, offered ll conferences, 30 panels, 50 personal testimonies, 4 dialogue and controversy round tables and more than 1000 workshops. They were organized under five headings: (1) Sustainable Democratic Development, (2) Principles and Values, Human Rights, Diversity and Equality, (3) Media, Culture and Alternatives to Mercantilization and Homogenisation, (4) Political Power, Civil Society and Democracy, (5) The Democratic World Order, The Struggle Against Militarization and the Promotion of Peace. The friars chose different events to attend, reflect upon and share about later. During the Forum they had one gathering with Brazilian friars to evaluate Franciscan participation and to consider future participation, especially in India in 2004 and in Porto Alegre, 2005.

Some of the lasting impressions were: huge numbers of young people; the presence of many religious men and women, an inter-Franciscan celebration for peace; popularity of conferences with a spiritual focus; deep dissatisfaction with the current neoliberal model of globalisation; a general consensus for peace and against war, particularly the impending war against Iraq; and hope for the future manifested in the ever increasing networking capacity among NGOs and civil society.

 

Prayers requested: We received the disturbing news that Bro. Ed Dunn ofm, Santa Barbara Province, has been very recently diagnosed with cancer of the lungs. The doctors have ruled out an operation and chemotherapy. Ed is actively perusing other medical options. Ed is a tireless advocate for the poor and their rights and worked for several years in El Salvador. He was a member of the International JPIC Council, representing the English Speaking Conference in the mid-nineties. He is currently working for immigrants and their rights in Southern California, living near the Mexico/US border. We ask you to pray intensely for Ed, for the miracle of health, if it is the Lord’s will. We are sure he would approve of you all invoking the intersession of Mons. Romero, a great hero of Ed’s. Here is a prayer you might be interested in using.

 

Prophets of a Future Not Our Own

(Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero

-        murdered on March 24, 1980.)

It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is beyond our vision.

 

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of

the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.

Nothing we do is complete,

which is another way of saying

that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

 

No statement says all that could be said.

No prayer fully expresses our faith.

No confession brings perfection.

No pastoral visit brings wholeness.

No program accomplishes the church's mission.

No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

 

This is what we are about:

We plant seeds that one day will grow.

We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.

We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.

 

We cannot do everything

and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.

This enables us to do something,

and to do it very well.

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,

an opportunity for God's grace to enter and do the rest.

 

We may never see the end results,

but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders,

ministers, not messiahs.

We are prophets of a future not our own. Amen

 

 

Change of Addresses/new appointments:

Ø      Teddy Lennon ofm, P.O. Box 17004, Groenkloof 0027, Rep. of South Africa, tel: 27.12.3461808

Ø      Javier Javie Hernández ofm, Saints Francis and James province, new president of the Conference of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico/Central America/Carribbean. Email: fraile@cybercable.net.mx

JPIC Conference meetings:

Ø      Compi (Italy): March 11-13, Milano Marittima.

Ø      Bolivarian: March 21-24, Bolivia

Ø      South Slav: March 14-16, Zagreb, Croatia.

 

Web sites:

Ø      Australian Catholic Social Justice Council - The Church speaks on War and Peace: www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au

This is an excellent review of the Church’s Social Teaching on War and Peace using recent declarations by the Vatican and Local Church leadership

Ø      Leonardo Boff writes a weekly column: http://servicioskoinonia.org/boff

 

 

Gearóid Francisco Ó Conaire, OFM

OFM JPIC Office

Via S. Maria Mediatrice 25

00165 Rome, ITALY

E-mail: pax@ofm.org Web: http://www.ofm.org/

Tel: (+39-06) 6849-1218       Fax: (+39-06) 6849-1266