No to War - Yes to the U.S.
February 13, 2003 - Press Release
CL Press Office
No, Bush junior like Bush senior is not convincing. We cannot understand why Saddam is the most wicked of them all, the most dangerous, why his overthrow is so indispensable to the fight against terrorism. As a matter of fact, Saddam's tyranny seems "moderate" when compared to other regimes. Christian Churches should be shown tolerance everywhere; in Iraq they are allowed to exist, but not in some other countries.
We are against this war; we are on the side of the Pope, who sees this war as being out of all proportion in both its method and aim, and is resorting to all licit means to avoid it. To spare the poor Iraqis not only human and political oppression, but exposure to the far more lethal aerial bombardments. And to spare all of us the consequences of a useless conflict.
We are on the Pope's side not only against the war, but above all in support of his work of peace-building. The Pope does not de-legitimize the United States; he does not label it the den of all the vices of the opulent West; he does not anathematize or excommunicate the Catholic soldiers who have left for Iraq; but invites everyone to join him in prayer ("Only an intervention from on High can make us hope in a less gloomy future! I invite everyone to take up the Rosary and beg the intercession of the Blessed Virgin" [the Angelus on February 9, 2003]) and in the search for a more adequate way to combat the violence that is threatening us. We see an inalienable aspect of this more adequate way: the safeguard of freedom. Freedom to believe, freedom of expression, freedom to work for a better future; the freedom of the Church and the freedom of the State; freedom of the institutions and freedom of democracy. Of this the United States is an example; such a clear example that it seems almost a dream, most of all for the more underprivileged. So even if the American Government be wrong in this present question, we shall not disown the US, because, amongst other things, in the US you can be against America's war. In too many countries one cannot even dream of this kind of freedom. We are citizens of Canada, allies of the United States, we will not burn the American Flag, and we will not follow the utopia of a society so perfect that no one needs to be good. We do not feel righteous because we make declarations approved by the majority.
We feel a responsibility, bitterness and pain for the contradictions that cannot be solved; for the powerlessness of international organizations; for the conditionings that inevitably bind relationships between States. We know that our freedom must be used for changing things through toil, determination and civilized choices.
The true peace movement is one of education, in which is affirmed, as the people's conscience, the choice that evil fearfully present in each one of us, and not only in the external enemy [who changes depending on whom we side with) shall not prevail over good. In this way every judgment and action might be a factor of peace justice and civility. Precisely.