Congress' Catholics ask bishops to help end Iraq War

by David Lightman of the Hartford Courant

Fourteen Catholic members of Congress today released a letter calling on Catholic bishops to help end the war in Iraq.

"As Catholic members of Congress we stand in unison with the Catholic Church in opposition to the war in Iraq," Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn., said in a statement. "Yet to attain the ideal of peace, we must not only speak the words, we must take action…"

As a result, she and her colleagues sent a letter to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urging them to "mobilize Catholic opinion on this, one of the most critical issues of our time."

The members want to meet with key Catholic officials, reminding them that "throughout our nation's history Catholics have been at the forefront of the fight for social justice. Now, at another critical moment, we respectfully urge the USCCB to join with us in mobilizing support for Congress' efforts to end the war."

Among those signing the letter were Reps. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, Jose E. Serrano, D-N.Y., James Moran, D-Va., and others.

Sister Mary Ann Walsh, director of the USCCB media relations office, said Tuesday that the bishops "just received the letter and are considering its request.The bishops have voiced concern for the conflcit in Iraq repeatedly since the war began, and have repeatedly called for a responsible transition."

And, she noted, "as the bishops have stated, our leaders have a moral obligation to examine where things genuinely stand in pursuing justice and peace in Iraq, to assess what is actually achieveable there, and to evaluate the moral and human consequences of alternative courses of action and whether they truly contribute to a responsible transition."

Last fall, Most Rev. William Skylstad, president of the conference, said that "the search for genuine justice and peace in Iraq requires moral urgency, substantive dialogue and new directions."

And, he noted, "The Holy See and our bishops' conference have repeatedly expressed grave moral concerns about military intervention in Iraq and the unpredictable and uncontrollable negative consequences of invasion and occupation."

He hoped the United States would move beyond the political rhetoric that characterized the 2006 election season, and urged the White House and Congress "to engage in a collaborative dialogue that honestly assesses the situation in Iraq, acknowledges past difficulties and miscalculations, recognizes and builds on positive advances and reaches agreement on concrete steps to address the serious challenges that lie ahead."

The members' letter recalled those concerns.

"If we understand the Catholic tradition correctly," they said, "thoughtful church leaders around the world do not believe that the war in Iraq meets the strict conditions for a just war or the high moral standards for overriding the presumption against the use of force. We agree and seek an end to this injustice."

They also cite Scripture.

"In our own education in the faith," they said, "we find the testimony of the Scriptures compelling, and although we have no illusions about the complexities of our current situation in Iraq, we have come to believe that peace cannot simply exist as an ideal--our efforts must be accompanied by actions as we embrace the teachings of peace and justice."