Monsignor Replies

The Monsignor of the Church did reply to my previous email about failing to include the innocent victims of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in the call for prayers. As is often the case, the answer is short and non-committal. I can't help but continue the dialogue because I still wait for a man of God to tell me war is a sin in the eyes of their God. I still wait for more than encouragement to keep the faith and pray. Their are times when prayers must be followed by the action of a moral stand in life. I fear the Church and those who place such faith in it have allowed it to become the Golden Calf, an idol unto itself. The monsignor is a kind man. I sense his frustration in the limitations placed on him by the Archbishop. I know he's tired and at the end of his time as a priest. I pray he will leave his parish when he's ready with honor and the legacy of challenging the passivity of the Church. Anyway, here's the communication between us today.

Terry: Thank you for your insightful comments about praying for the victims of war. I probably don't mention them often enough, but I am very opposed to war itself. When I pray for members of our military I am praying for their safety and quick return home. You know war first hand and I don't so thanks for your observations. I do hope you will continue to pray and be strong in your faith. Don't give up. God doesn't give up on any of us.

Monsignor H


Monsignor,

Thank you for the timely reply to my email about the victims of war. I want to assure you I haven’t given up on God or the Holy Trinity. I do have great disappointment in the Church which I was led to believe would be faithful to the teachings of Christ. I don’t sense those teachings would endorse or approve of the wars of this nation.

I’ve never felt the prayers for the military to be an endorsement of the war but in conjunction with “America the Beautiful” and the lack of acknowledgement for the victims that far outnumber the troops I have to say the subtle messages are an approval of the actions of the troops. I realize there are people in the parish who are very conservative and feel our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan is the “right thing to do”.

I hope you’ll not take offense at my view that the Church should be the moral leader in challenging the militaristic nature of our country. I’ve not seen that happening. Instead I sense clergy nuance what they say to avoid offending the beliefs of the members of their parish. I’m not a fan of “fire and brimstone” approaches but I do believe if the Church is to be pro-life it should stand up with courage against secular powers that continue to send young men and women to slaughter and be slaughtered.

The Church takes moral imperative toward abortion but minces words or avoids the discussion of wars that have so dramatically altered this nation. The consequences of war go beyond the battlefield. The monies spent on war deprive hungry children, homeless families, struggling elders, young people being educated, food banks and a multitude of people in need. It erodes the soul of our nation and the view of the world toward us. The troops returning are meeting up with delays in getting treatment for PTSD, brain injuries, ongoing physical and emotional treatment to restore them to health. This lack of care will result in far too many becoming lost to our country as the beautiful people they can become. Instead suicides, homicides, incarcerations, addictions and homelessness dramatically increase for them. This is only a short list of the effects of war on troops. These effects go beyond the troops and will affect their children, their spouses and their communities. War is an insidious disease that tears us apart and poisons us. It isn’t honorable or patriotic if the purpose is so blatantly meant to enrich a selected few at the expense of so many. Fear mongering and nationalistic fervor after 9-11 has given our country a shameful blood lust for revenge. We’ve labeled groups of people as terrorists and allowed the label to smear innocent families. Our bombs make no distinction between those who we feel the enemy and babies and children sleeping in their beds. What terror is felt by parents who search for their children under the rubble of a bombed home hit by a 500 lb bomb dropped anonymously by pilots who never see the results of their “work”? Their bombs don’t sort out who is innocent and there is no such thing as a smart bomb.

Americans aren’t reminded of the terror of children caused by our bombs, rockets and artillery. They aren’t even allowed to see the coffins of troops killed in our wars. It makes it easier to ignore a voluntary military if the war is seldom mentioned and information strictly controlled.

My ranting ultimately comes down to the question of where is the leadership of the Church to decry what’s going on? If the Church fails to take a public position on one of the most important questions our world faces is it not complicit in allowing the sin of war to continue? Asking for prayer to bring us peace is a powerful part of what we seem to be asked to do but aren’t we also required to name evil and call for an end to it? The medicine of reality is bitter for those who have made country and nationalism their god. Isn’t it idolatry to put the American way of life above the needs of the world’s most impoverished and weak brothers and sisters?

I haven’t given up, Monsignor. I’ll have given up when I no longer feel outrage about the condition of this world being left to my sons and grandchildren by my generation. We have failed to provide them a moral compass. We have failed to teach them Christ’s very simple commandment….. Love your neighbor as yourself. Our failure is self evident by our continued wars.

Thanks again Monsignor. Peace be with you.

Wm Terry Leichner