[Peace-discuss] Italy

[Dlind49 at aol.com]

Dear Peace Colleagues,

I just thought I'd let you know what is going on in Italy.

The Pope is unflagging in his efforts to further the cause of peace. And it
seems that this time round the Bishops are following his teachings (that was
not always the case in the past).
Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, President emeritus of Justice and Peace, is
flying to Baghdad today with a letter from the Pope to Saddam Hussein.
Friday the Pope will have a meeting with Tarik Aziz in the Vatican; Monday
or Tuesday next week he will receive Kofi Annan.
Yesterday the official Vatican newspaper carried the huge headline:
"We must not resign ourselves. War is not inevitable."

I think Rabbi Arthur Waskow's idea is wonderful, and like all wonderful
ideas should be actively pursued (regardless of the probability of
success..). If the invitation came also from non-Catholics and
non-Christians I think it would carry even greater weight. I could get it to
the Vatican.


____________________________
Sister Evelina Savini, of the Poor Clares of Jesi (Ancona), a cloistered
order, has written an appeal to the Pope, asking him to call for
conscientious objection against the war, and is collecting signatures:
(my rough translation of the Italian original)

Your Holiness,

Ours is the voice of a people, a multitude: among us are Catholics who
recognize you as our pastor and the authority of our Church; there are
Christians of various confessions, faithful of different religions and
non-believers, who listen to your words and respect you as an authoritative
spriritual and moral leader.

We are numerous: men and women that differ in religious and political creed,
in origin and culture, in the life we have chosen to lead. But what unites
us is a common thread: we don't want war, we don't want this war.

We fear that the institutions and diplomacies of this world, that many
politicans and Heads of government, do not have the will or the power to
avoid another massacre.

We appeal to you so that you may once again solemnly ask the rulers and the
people of the countries of the world to avert this war. We would like to
hear your voice inviting all men and women of good will to exercise
conscientious objection against this war. Ask members of Parliament not to
vote for it, ask the military not to fight it, ask each and every person,
according to their possibilities, to actively pursue the path of objection
and non-collaboration.

We ask you to make a simple and unequivocal statement, that does not lend
itself to further interpretation.

We stand by the Iraqi people for whom war would only mean more suffering. We
stand by the victims of all wars and all the crucified of history.

We trust in you to speak out echoing the sentiments of this multitude. Thank
you for what you have done and what you will do.

________________________

In peace,
Lisa Clark
Beati i costruttori di pace
(Blessed Are the Peacemakers)