Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Cross, Page 4
Thursday, October 12, 2000
In the face of violence
By Stephen Wilson
ospel lessons can often be learned by
observing the behavior of nations and peo
ple. These lessons, however, are too often
missed or simply ignored. But there are times
when two events coincide so remarkably that to
miss the deeper significance and lessons would
be unfortunate. Two such events, which stand as
mirror images of each other, have taken place
over the last couple of weeks.
In Yugoslavia long time President— some
would say “Dictator”—Slobadan Milosevic, lost
in his attempt to be reelected as president of the
country. The opposition declared victory and
called for the citizens of the country to strike
and shut the country down until Milosevic step
ped down from office. This action was apparent
ly successful, and Milosevic has been removed.
Meanwhile, across the Mediterranean, Palesti
nians and Israelis came to violent conflicts over
the question of who has sovereignty over the
Temple Mount and Jerusalem. This violence was
instigated by the visit of Ariel Sharon to the
Temple Mount. Sharon is a former general in the
Jewish armed forces and is believed to be a war
criminal by the Palestinians. Sharon admitted
that he visited the site to show that Israel had
sovereignty over the site that both Jews and
Palestinians claim as holy.
Within both countries there is a struggle for
political as well as personal freedom. The people
of Yugoslavia are seeking a political voice that
they believe has been denied them for too long.
The Palestinians have been under the control of
the Israelis for approximately 50 years, and for
the past seven years have been negotiating a
peace treaty with the Israeli Government. Within
both situations an impasse was reached, but the
responses were very different.
Not having access to weapons the opposition
leaders in Yugoslavia used the only weapon at
their disposal—the power of the people. They
called for strikes and protest by the people, and
asked that the protests be kept peaceful. The
Palestinians, on the other hand, have chosen a
more aggressive response using stones and guns
to attack Israelis. This aggressive response has
been responded to by an even more violent
response by the Israelis who have used guns,
tanks and helicopters.
How two groups go about achieving their
goals often influences a great extent what is
accomplished, and dictates what the relationship
between the two people will be after the conflict
is over.
If we look at recent history, countries such as
Poland, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Latvia
and other countries of Eastern Europe, which
had what has come to be called a non-violent
revolution, are presently on the road back to
recovery. The revolutions which took place were
such that there was little animosity between peo
ple, and while these countries still face prob
lems, much of the instability that afflicts other
countries is not present.
By contrast an examination of the countries
that violently attempted to prevent change shows
a different outcome. Yugoslavia has attempted to
(Continued from page 11)
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Yet more comments on declaration
Dear Editor:
Catholics like Pansy Bird (September 21) and
Jackie Kennedy (September 28) are the reason
the Church needs to issue documents such as
Dominus lesus. Ms. Kennedy may be surprised
to learn that this is not Cardinal Ratzinger’s
novel theory. It is the constant teaching of the
Catholic Church for over 1900 years. Ms.
Bird’s belief that this document is an insult to
the pope shows her ignorance. Apparently, the
pope himself does not feel insulted since he
approved ... the document.
The statement that “Scripture did come before
the church” is incorrect. The New Testament
was written by Catholics for Catholics.
The belief that “No Church is necessary for
salvation” is completely the opposite of what
the Church has always taught. Pope Boniface
VIII (1302) stated that the Church “is absolute
ly necessary for salvation.” The Second Vatican
Council affirmed this in Unitatis Redintegratio.
“It is through Christ’s Catholic Church, alone,
which is the universal help towards salvation,
that the fullness of the means of salvation can
be obtained” (emphasis added).
I found Ms. Bird’s attempt to equate Cardinal
Ratzinger with Hitler to be positively bizarre. I
did not detect any hate in Dominus lesus nor
any statements contrary to scripture.
Ms. Bird quotes the Bible, but not one church
document. It is the Catholic Church, not the
Bible, which is the “pillar and bulwork of
truth” (/ Timothy 3:15). Jesus left us with a
teaching church, not a book to be privately
interpreted. History has shown the wisdom of
our Lord. Private interpretation has given birth
to 25,000 denominations of Protestantism. Our
Lord’s prayer for unity (sec John 17:20-23) can
never be realized under such conditions. I
believe it is clear that the Catholic Church
offers us the only alternative to the ever-grow-
Letters
ing chaos of private interpretation (see 2 Peter
3:16).
Ms. Kennedy states that Cardinal Ratzinger
would keep us separate. It is not the Cardinal,
but rather schism and heresy from God’s one,
holy, catholic and apostolic church which
accomplishes this separation. It is the failure to
recognize and submit to God’s chosen authority
over his family that causes the division. Jesus
chose Peter to head the family of God (see
Matthew 16:18-19). There is an unbroken line
of popes or papas from Peter to John Paul II.
To the Ms. Birds and Ms. Kennedys of the
world I say: Listen to your papa! For as Saint
Ambrose noted, Ubi Petrus, ibi ecclesia
(“Where Peter is, there is the church”).
Sal Magluilo
East Dublin
Dear Editor:
I would like to respond to Ms. Bird from
Statesboro, who stated that we are justified by
faith alone. The teaching of the Catholic
Church, [which] by the way, is biblical, states
that nowhere in Scripture is it written that faith
alone justifies. Saint Paul wrote: “For we
account a man to be justified by faith, without
the works of the law.” He was referring to
works peculiar to the old Jewish law, and he
cited circumcision as an example.
The church teaches that we are justified by
faith and works only when we are in the state
of grace. Ms. Bird should not only read
Romans but include James, which stated that
faith without works is dead, also that a man is
justified by [faith and] works and not faith
alone.
“Faith alone” is a Protestant fundamentalist
concept. Ms. Bird also stated that no church is
necessary for salvation. It was Saint Paul who
got his salvation through the Church. Instead of
misquoting Scripture and questioning church
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doctrine, Ms. Bird should read the Catechism,
which draws on the Bible. Read and listen to
great Catholic theologians like Scott Hahn and
Karl Keating: they are true defenders of the
faith. Remember the Catholic Church is the pil
lar of truth. With all the negative things that
have been said about our faith, the Catholic
Church, along with the Immaculate Heart of
Mary, will triumph.
Tom MacFarlane
Valdosta
Dear Editor:
I am deeply chagrined by the misunderstand
ing by some of the faithful of the document
Dominus lesus. Who here supports adultery?
None, I hope, for the Church has always
taught the inherent dignity and respect of every
human being, especially the respect due one’s
spouse on account of the sacrament of matri
mony. Therefore it is abhorent if a man states
that “in truth” only one woman “in fullness” is
his wife, but that he can be with other women
in a similar way because they are like his wife,
or worse yet, they have the same fullness his
wife has! Yes, of course, there is participation
in the one truth by other faith traditions, but
dare one decry the voice of Christ which speaks
through his Church as he proclaims, “This is
my beloved who by marraige is in truth and in
fullness my wife, through whom I give abun
dant life to the world.” Ecumenism starts with
truth as Abraham so rudely found out when he
tried to pass Sarah off as his sister instead of
his wife. It is only in proclaiming the fullness
of the “Bride of Christ” that the salvific act of
the passion, death, and ressurection of our
Lord, when “heaven was wedded to earth”,
becomes fully effective for all humankind.
Joseph Peek
Decatur
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