Usa-Iraq" "
“In this time of deep international concern we all feel the need to pray to the Lord to implore the great gift of peace”: so said John Paul II in yet another heartfelt appeal for peace, during his Angelus address on Sunday, 9 February. Recalling that “the difficulties that the world horizon presents at this dawn of a new millennium lead us to think that only an intervention from on High can lead us to hope in a less gloomy future”, the Pope invited all Catholics to participate in the “numerous prayer events” that “are taking place in various parts of the world at the present time”, and encouraged them to take the rosary in hand, because “no one can recite the Rosary without feeling himself committed to the service of peace”. (Cf. SirEurope no.5 of 24.01.03 and no. 9 of 07.02.03) “Lord, may the guns fall silent”: that was the appeal made in Germany and contained in the ecumenical prayer for peace for 2003, written by Fr. Hermann Schälück, president of the German Catholic mission-aid organization “Missio”. It forms part of the ‘prayer chain’ promoted by the German Christian mission-aid societies for peace in the Middle East, including the pontifical mission-aid society for children (PMK), and the Evangelic missionary society (EMW). “Give to everyone, especially to political leaders, the conviction that the way to achieve peace is not war, but commitment to peace in justice”, invokes the prayer, which appeals for a common effort to stop the war in Iraq”. “Giving a common sign of hope in peace” and a “spiritual accent” to demonstrations against a possible war in Iraq: there are the goals of the ecumenical prayer hour for peace, scheduled to be held in St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna ( Austria) on Saturday 15 February ( Austria). The event, called “5 minutes to 12”, is promoted inter alia by Austrian Catholic Action, “Katholische Jugend” (Catholic Youth), Pax Christi, the Focolare Movement and all the member churches of the Ecumenical Council of Austrian Churches (ÖRKÖ). The event will be attended by the Greek Orthodox metropolitan Michael Staikos and the Syro-Orthodox bishop Emanuel Aydin. “Our aim is to express by prayer and by song our concern for peace”, say the organizers of the prayer hour, “and to associate ourselves with the clear rejection of war by the Pope and the Churches”. The prayer hour will also include the recitation of “Our Father” in Aramaic, and an aaronite blessing by metropolitan Staikos. Prayers for peace are being combined with more active anti-war positions by various Episcopal Conference. The Iraqi regime does not represent an “urgent and immediate threat” such as to constitute a “clear case of legitimate defence”: so say the bishops of France in a declaration issued by their permanent Council. At this time of intense diplomatic activity conducted not least by the Vatican the French bishops reaffirm that “the right of legitimate defence presupposes a real or imminent attack, and not the mere possibility of an attack”. “We urge that peaceful ways be pursued with courage to relieve the Iraqi people of the ills that already oppress them and those by which they are threatened”. The bishops of Slovakia have also taken a stance against the war, in a brief statement issued on 23 January. Of the various initiatives for peace in Slovakia, perhaps the most striking is the open letter of Father Solciansky, parish priest of Zahorska Bystrica (a small parish near Bratislava), asking Christian politicians to devote themselves to the cause of peace. The letter began as a purely local appeal, but it gathered momentum, assumed a national dimension and so far over 30,000 signatures of support have been collected. In Poland too the Catholic Church has publicly dissociated itself from the position of its Government on the intervention in Iraq. “The arguments adduced by the White House say the Polish bishops are insufficient to justify an attack on Iraq. No conflict can be resolved with arms”. In Italy, Cardinal Camillo Ruini, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference has appealed, first, for full support for the United Nations Organization, and, second, for the “multiplication of every effort for peace because war is not inevitable”. “The support we must give the United Nations, while not ignoring its limits says Cardinal Ruini must be sincere, and enable this organization to keep abreast with changes and tackle present and future challenges with authority and success”.
