The Valley Catholic
commentary
The most powerful word
spoken to injustice is
‘No!’
During the U.S. Catholic Bishops’
Nov. 11-14 General Assembly in Baltimore, two bishops took time to share a
simple supper – soup and bread – and
dialogue with about 20 Catholic social
justice and peace activists, including
myself.
On the evening of Nov. 12, several
blocks away from the Waterfront Marriott Hotel, where the bishops were
meeting, Archbishop Joseph Tobin of
Indianapolis and Bishop John Michael
Botean, head of the Romanian Catholic
Eparchy (diocese) of St. George in Canton, Ohio dialogued about making war,
peacemaking, poverty, and military
chaplains in light of the teachings of
the compassionate, nonviolent Jesus.
In the basement of historic St. Vin-
17
Making a Difference
By Tony Magliano
Two bishops dialogue with Catholic peace activists
cent de Paul Catholic Church, Martha
Hennessy, a granddaughter of Dorothy
Day, said, “Based on my understanding of my grandmother’s life, I would
conclude that priests should not serve
in the military, as one cannot serve
Christ and the chain of command at
the same time. Part of a chaplain’s job
is to make soldiers feel OK about doing
their job, which is to kill, which Christ
said we can’t do.”
Hennessy added that Dorothy Day
would not have approved of the earlier
bishops’ dinner hosted by the Archdiocese for the Military Services – with
military recruiters lobbying the bishops
to send more chaplains. She thought
her grandmother would have said the
bishops are being complicit with the
A Christmas Reflection
By Father David Mercer
I have a note that relates to a survey
of the words or phrases people most like
to hear said to them with sincerity. The
most welcomed phrase: “I love you.”
In second place: “You are forgiven.”
In third place (are you ready for this?):
“Supper is read ?t?Q????????????)??????????????????????????)
??????)$?????????Q???=???Q????????????)?????????????? ???e??????????)??????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)?????????? ??????????????)??????????????)?
??????? ???e??????????????????????????????????????????+?q$???????????????????????????????)Q????????????e?????????????????)?????????????5???????????1????t)???????????????????????????)???????????????????????? ??)?????????????? ???????????????)??????????????????)???????????????)?????????????????Q?????????????)????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????
??????) ???????q$???????????????t)e??????????????
??????) ???e??????????????????????????????????????????q ??????? ?????)??????????????????????????????????)????????????????t? ???e?????????)????????????????????????????????????)????????????))???????????? ?????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)?????????????Q???????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)????????????????????)]???????????????????????????)????????????????????????)????????????????????????????()???????????????$()??????????????????????????????????) ???e??????????????????????????)??? ???e????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)???????????????????????]???????)???????? ??????????????????????)]???????????????????????)?????????????????????????? ??)????????????????????????????)????????????????qe???????????????????t)M???????????]????????????????????????????)???????????????????)????????????????????????
??????)???????)??????????????)???????????) ????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)?????????????I???????????)????d)????????????????????????????)???????????????????)]????????????????????????????)????)??? ???????1?????????????????????????)]??????????????????????????????)M???????M?????????????????????)????????????????????)????????????)???????? ????9????????? ??)????????????????)????
?????]?????)??????????????????????)?????????)??????????????????????????????????)????????]?????? ????????????????)???????????????M?????????? ???e????)??????????????)????
????????????)???????qM?????????????????t)?
????????????????????????)????????5?????????????????)??????????????????M??1?????????)?????q5????????????????????????)???????????????????????????t?]??????)????????????????????????)?????????
???????????????????)
??????????????????????????? ???e?)?????????????M?????????????????) ????????????????????????????+?q$?????????t??qe?????????????t????)?????qM???????????t+???????????5??????A???????)?????????????M??Q????????
???????)
??????M???)???()??????????????????) ????? ??????????????????%??)??????????????????????????)???????????????q?????????)?????????????????????????????t????)?????????????????????????????)??????????????????
???????????) ???????!??????????q%??????????????????????????????????????????)????)?????? ???????t)!????????q=???a???d?????? ?????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????
????)?????????????????????????????? ???????M?????
??????????e????????????)??????I??????????
?????????)??????????????????????????????)?????t?M???????
??????????????????????????????????????L??q????????)???????????????????t) ????? ???????????q]???????????)?????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????t)????????Q??????????????????????????????????9?????A?????A???)?????????????????????Q???)??????????????????%????????????!?)??????????????????????M???)???????????????????????????)?????????Q???????????????????)???????????]????????????????()????????????????????????????)?????????) ????????????????????????)???????????????????????????? ???) ??????????????? ????????????)?????? ????????????????????????)??????? ???????????????????)????????????????????)????????Q????????????????)?????????????????????????????+?q9???t)]???????????????Q????????) ????? ???????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????L?????????????????????????????)????????????????L???????????????))???????????????????????????)????????????)Q???????????????????e?????????)???????????e??????????????????????????????????????????????? ??)????????????????????)Q????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)????????????????e??????????????)???????????????????????????+???Q????5????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????((??????8?8?U?0)@?H?$??MP?L???L??4?$?8??H?$??8?L)?L?,??P???0?0? ? ??0?0??8? ?)?????????????????????????A4)1Yd?
9QH??M9Q?
1I?U9%YIM%Qd(???? ????????????????M????????????()]]\?M(?=I ?IYL?YL?M5L)????????((0