Ten Years Later

Today is the 10^th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Brad Knickerbocker of the CSM concludes in an article that the question, “‘Was it worth it?’ is a question impossible to answer.”

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Wiki-image of U.S. tanks in Baghdad is in the public domain. 

Papal Reflections on Peace

These Catholic Resources for Discernment were introduced on this blog earlier. The latest part arrived late last week.

Papal Reflections on Peace More Info

Sixth Part in Iraq: Resources for Discernment

This is the sixth in a series of reflection pieces offered to assist Catholics with our discernment on the war in Iraq. (For more visit www.jesuit.org/iraq) This installment invites us to reflect on the recent calls for peace from Pope Benedict XVI. These selections are more pastoral in tone than the previous installments discuss peace in more general terms. - Pope Benedict's address at Assisi, on the 800th anniversary of Saint Fancis' conversion. June 17, 2007. - Pope Benedict's address in Cadore, Italy, during his summer vacation. July 22, 2007. When Cardinal Ratzinger was elected Pope he chose the name Benedict, in part, because of the previous Benedict's commitment to peace. In his very first general audience the Pope explained that, "I wished to call myself Benedict XVI to be united ideally with the venerated Pontiff Benedict XV, who led the Church in a troubled time because of World War I. He was a courageous and authentic prophet of peace and he did his utmost with strenuous courage from the start to avoid the drama of the war and then to limit its inauspicious consequences. Following his footsteps, I wish to put my ministry at the service of reconciliation and harmony among men and nations, profoundly convinced that the great good of peace is, first of all, a gift of God, a fragile and precious gift to be invoked, defended and built day after day with the contribution of all." In recent months, the Pope has increased calls for peace. He urges us not only to condemn war but to work for peace, and suggests that a "reasonable and sincere dialogue" is critical to an enduring peace. ____________________________ Here are a few reflection questions you might consider: What are the moral and ethical norms that underlie Pope Benedict's comments? What do you think the Pope means by his call to work for peace? What does it mean to you? Is there anything in particular that struck you when reading the pieces? What might the Lord be saying to you through this? May the Prince of Peace guide our nation and world, and our participation in it.

Iraq: Catholic Resources for Discernment

Jesuit Father Jim Stormes, Secretary, Social and International Ministries at the Jesuit Conference, posted this letter of introduction to a hefty series to aid Catholics in approaching the situation of Iraq, in which sound bites and media presentations fail to do justice to it in the light of Catholic social teaching.

Links to the four resources may be found at its page at the U.S. Jesuit website.

Dear Companions in Jesuit Ministry,

Peace of Christ!

This is a traditional greeting on Jesuit letters, and it takes on special meaning in these days when our nation is struggling over how best to find an elusive peace in war-torn Iraq. We are all painfully aware of the great consequence and complexity of the current policy deliberations. They are not only political and military decisions, but moral and ethical ones as well. Our Catholic faith calls us to participation in the national debate, especially in its moral and ethical aspects. That call is not only to us individually but as community - whether that be family, neighborhood, parish, school, retreat house - and we write to encourage and perhaps facilitate further discussion and participation.

The search for reconciliation in Iraq and here at home over these frequently divisive issues will only bear fruit through thoughtful discernment and informed dialogue. Yet, complicated by politics and self-interested agendas, much of the current public discourse can be contradictory and confusing. Many of us struggle to sift through it all to find good and helpful material. As a contribution to our common effort at good citizenship, we would like to offer a series of collected materials from various sources that we think helpful . We encourage you to consider these materials individually and in community.

Perhaps you would want to ask yourselves these questions:

- Does this material and particularly its assumptions coincide with my own experience?
- What are the moral and ethical norms that underlie the argument? Are they applied appropriately?
- How is this helpful for my own understanding and my own discussion and action, however informal, regarding our national decisions regarding Iraq? . . .

As Companions of Christ's Mission, may we pray for guidance from the Spirit He has sent to be with us always.

James R. Stormes SJ
Secretary, Social and International Ministries
Jesuit Conference

Links About Iraq's Current Situation

The BBC maps situations and charts numbers well. Regarding Iraq the BBC has continued to excel in helping readers appreciate the dire situations in Iraq.

Jeremy Bowen, the BBC Middle East Editor, has written a piece, "Middle East fears broken Iraq."

"Iraq violence, in figures" charts deaths for both Iraqis and coalition forces.

An excellent map shows the violence in Baghdad in an animated way for areas, bombings and ethnic divisions.

Dr. Stephen M. Colecchi, Director, Office of International Justice and Peace, the U.S.Conference of Catholic Bishops, spoke at John Carroll University and Gesu Parish on 28 March 2007. Dr. Colecchi reminded listeners that the Christian population of Iraq is now half its size due to the current war.

Another population is swiftly shrinking: doctors. Many have lefts in recent months! The BBC post about this situation is entitled, "Iraqi medical crisis as doctors flee."
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Flickr photo by stefrobb used under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0