www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News U.S. Romanian Catholic Eprach Forbids the Participation of his Flock

Shlomo Lkhoolkhoon,
I just got this from one of my other e-mail sites.

Poosh BaShlomo Lkhoolkhoon,
Yuhannon

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Monday 3/10/03 Catholic Pastoral Letter Condemns War On Iraq Absolutely

Introduction

The enclosed Pastoral Letter was read from all the pulpits of all the Romanian Catholic Churches in the United States on Sunday, March 9, 2003. It was also mailed to each Romanian Catholic in the U.S.

It represents an extraordinary moment in the Catholic Church in the U.S. and perhaps in the Church in the wider world. Here is a bishop with full Apostolic authority, who is an Ordinary not an Auxiliary, officially proclaiming to the people entrusted to his spiritual care by Christ, that direct participation in a war of their nation would be mortal sin and therefore explicitly and absolutely forbidden. This has never been done in modern Catholic Church history. It is the equivalent of a Church being informed by its highest spiritual authority that it is under a Divine mandate to engage in nonviolent civil disobedience, if legally required to participate in this war.

This is not a bishop functioning as a political lobbyist, nor is it a bishop simply giving good advise to his people, nor is it a bishop functioning as a theological disputant with anyone inside or outside his Church. This is a bishop declaring to those who are actively one with him by Baptism and by faith in Christ and His Church, that as the final authority in matters of faith and morals in their Community, this war is intrinsically evil and therefore morally impermissible for them.

It should be noted that Bishop Botean's declaration is binding only on the Romanian Catholics of the United States. No member of any other Catholic diocese in the U.S. or elsewhere is bound in conscience to accept or to adhere to it. Each bishop must stand before the Cross and discern what the truth of Jesus Christ is on this situation for himself as bishop and for those souls specifically given to him for their sanctification and eternal salvation. No bishop can bind in conscience Catholics of another diocese�except for the Bishop of Rome or all bishops formally gathered in an Ecumenical Council.
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Bishop Botean is a Summa Cum Laude graduate in Philosophy of The Catholic University of America. Any suggestion, that he cannot appreciate the complexities, niceties and nuances of the concepts presented to justify a war as being in conformity with Catholic teaching, is patently without merit.

Center for Christian Nonviolence, 167 Fairhill Drive, Wilmington DE 19808-4312, Phone: 302-235-2925

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Romanian Catholic Diocese of Canton
Office of the Bishop

March 7, 2003

Beloved brothers and sisters in our Lord, Jesus Christ,

Great Lent, which we now begin, is traditionally a time in which we take stock of ourselves, our lives, and the direction in which we are headed. In the common language of the Catholic Church, it is a time for a deep �examination of conscience� as we fast, pray, and otherwise attend to the call for repentance issued by the Church for the forty days before we celebrate the Resurrection of her savior, Jesus Christ.

A serious examination of conscience requires that we recognize that there are times in the life of each Christian when one�s faith is seriously and urgently challenged by the events taking place around him or her. Like it or not, these challenges show us just how seriously�or not�we are living our baptismal commitment to Christ. Most of us, most of the time, would prefer to keep our heads in the sand, ostrich-like, than to face truths about ourselves. This is why the Church has found it so vitally necessary to have seasons, such as Lent, during which we must pull our heads out of the sand and take a good, hard look at the world around us and how we are living in it.

We cannot fail, as we examine our consciences, to take into account the most critical challenge presented to our faith in our day: the fact that the United States government is about to initiate a war against the people of Iraq. For Romanian Catholics who are also United States citizens, this raises an immediate and unavoidable moral issue of major importance. Specifically stated the issue is this: does the killing of human beings in this war constitute murder?

The Holy Gospels reveal our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ to be nonviolent. In them, Jesus teaches a Way of life that his disciples are to follow, a Way of nonviolent love of friends and enemies. However, since the latter half of the fourth century the Church has proposed standards that, if met, would make it morally permissible for Christians to depart from that way in order to engage in war. These standards have come to be known in popular language as the �Catholic Just War Theory.�

According to this theory, if all of the conditions it specifies are adhered to, the killing that is done in fighting a war may be justifiable and therefore morally allowable. This theory also teaches that if any one of the standards is not met, then the killing that occurs is unjust and therefore morally impermissible. Unjust killing is by definition murder. Murder is intrinsically evil and therefore absolutely forbidden, no matter what good may seem to come of it.

The Church teaches that good ends do not justify the use of evil means. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states this principle succinctly: �One may never do evil so that good may result from it.� (1789) One contemporary example of this would be abortion. Abortion is intrinsically evil; hence regardless of the good that may seem to issue from it, a Catholic may never participate in it.

Paragraph 2309 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: �The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration. The gravity of such a decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of moral legitimacy� (emphasis added). Since war is about the mass infliction of death and suffering on children of God, Christians can enter into it and fight in it only if the war in question strictly meets all the criteria of the just war theory, and only if these same standards are likewise meticulously observed in the course of fighting the war. Vague, loose, freewheeling, conniving, relaxed interpretations of Catholic just war theory and its application are morally illegitimate because of �the gravity of such a decision.�

�The evaluation of these conditions of the just war theory for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good,� states the Catechism. (2309) However, the nation-state is never the final arbiter or authority for the Catholic of what is moral or for what is good for the salvation of his or her soul. What is legal can be evil and often has been. Jesus Christ and his Church, not the state, are the ultimate informers of conscience for the Catholic.

This is why the Church teaches as a norm of conscience the following: �If rulers were to enact unjust laws or take measures contrary to the moral order such arrangements would not be binding in conscience.� (Catechism 1903) She also warns �Blind obedience [to immoral laws] does not suffice to excuse those who carry them out� (Catechism 2313). When a moral conflict arises between Church teaching and secular morality, when contradictory moral demands are made upon a Catholic�s conscience, he or she �must obey God rather than man� (Acts 5:29).

Because such a moment of moral crisis has arisen for us, beloved Romanian Catholics, I must now speak to you as your bishop. Please be aware that I am not speaking to you as a theologian or as a private Christian voicing his opinion, nor by any means am I speaking to you as a political partisan. I am speaking to you solely as your bishop with the authority and responsibility I, though a sinner, have been given as a successor to the apostles on your behalf. I am speaking to you from the deepest chambers of my conscience as your bishop, appointed by Jesus Christ in his Body, the Church, to help shepherd you to sanctity and to heaven. Never before have I spoken to you in this manner, explicitly exercising the fullness of authority Jesus Christ has given his Apostles �to bind and to loose,� (cf. John 20:23), but now �the love of Christ compels� me to do so (2 Corinthians 5:14). My love for you makes it a moral imperative that I not allow you, by my silence, to fall into grave evil and its incalculable temporal and eternal consequences.

Humanly speaking, I would much prefer to keep silent. It would be far, far easier for me and my family simply to let events unfold as they will, without commentary or warning on my part. But what kind of shepherd would I be if I, seeing the approach of the wolf, ran away from the sheep (cf. John 10:12-14)? My silence would be cowardly and, indeed, sinful. I believe that Christ, whose flock you are, expects more than silence from me on behalf of the souls committed to my protection and guidance.

Therefore I, by the grace of God and the favor of the Apostolic See Bishop of the Eparchy of St. George in Canton, must declare to you, my people, for the sake of your salvation as well as my own, that any direct participation and support of this war against the people of Iraq is objectively grave evil, a matter of mortal sin. Beyond a reasonable doubt this war is morally incompatible with the Person and Way of Jesus Christ. With moral certainty I say to you it does not meet even the minimal standards of the Catholic just war theory.

Thus, any killing associated with it is unjustified and, in consequence, unequivocally murder. Direct participation in this war is the moral equivalent of direct participation in an abortion. For the Catholics of the Eparchy of St. George, I hereby authoritatively state that such direct participation is intrinsically and gravely evil and therefore absolutely forbidden.

My people, it is an incontestable Biblical truth that a sin left unnamed will propagate itself with lavish zeal. We must call murder by its right name: murder. God and conscience require nothing less if the face of the earth is to be renewed and if the salvation offered by Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ is to reach all people, including us. We have no choice before the face of God but to speak unambiguously to the moral situation with which we are confronted and to live according to the Will of Him who gazes at us from the Cross (Catechism 1785).

Let us pray for each other and take care of each other in this spiritually trying time. To this end our Church is wholeheartedly committed to the support of any of our members in the military or government service who may be confronted with situations of legal jeopardy due to their need to be conscientious objectors to this war. Let us also pray in earnest with the Mother of God, who knows what it is to have her Child destroyed before her eyes, that the destruction of families, lives, minds and bodies that war unleashes will not take place.

Finally, my brothers and sisters in Christ, be assured that Our Lord is aware that our �No� to murder and our prayers for peace are our faithful response to his desires. He will remember this forever and ever, and so it is to him we must now turn, in him we must now trust.

Amen.

Sincerely in Christ-God,

(Most Reverend) John Michael Botean
a sinner, bishop

Dear to Christ Yuhannon,

A clarification is in order here.

There ARE Romainian Catholics to whom this does not apply.

Specifically those in the Military and their families.

All Catholics in the Military, of whatever Church are under the Pastorial Care of the Archbishop of the Military Diocese (US), His Grace Archbishop O'Brien.

Due to the need to provide care for a diverse group of Catholics, Military Chaplaincies have a Papal Mandate to care for all Catholics within their Care.

So a Romanian Catholic currently in Active Duty or Activated Reserves is not subject to the Rev. Eparch's Letter.

I found this out as I used to be an Army Officer with a Byzantine Catholic under my command. As CO, I was entrusted to insure that all in my Command recieved Pastorial care according to their desires. It took a bit of research, but I found we shared Bishops


Yours in Christ

-Brendan

Yours in Christ

Note:

The above post was\is not in any way disapproving of His Excellency's Pastorial Letter, or a comment for\against the war.

I know many here might have friends or relatives in the Military, some of whom might be in the Middle East already.

This is more to reassure that their souls will not incur the Sin of Disobedience to their Eparch by their participation in the War.

Yours in Christ,

Brendan

I for one am very thankful that Bishop Botean is NOT my bishop. Shame on him! To state in effect that the President of the United States is a murderer is damnable! This guy just does not have any idea what he is saying. Why is it that no other U.S. Bishop has spoken thus? Bishop Botean is a disgrace both as an American and as a Catholic hierarch. I will refrain from all that I want to say.
Silouan, monk and very proud to be an American in support of our President

The Romanian Catholic Diocese of Canton's loss is my gain!
Father Silouan, monk

So something that is a mortal sin for some may not be a sin at all for others, if their bishops have spoken nothing about it? This opens up all kinds of new possibilities in Catholic moral teaching. Or is it a mortal sin for his subjects because they are ethnic Romanians? (Phyletism!!)

Before this, my support for the U.S. position was starting to waver, but now I am firmly behind it. Thanks, Bishop!

Let us remember that Archbishop Fulton Sheen had the courage and conviction to publicly come out against the Vietnam War in July 1967, a time when others voicing there opposition were often denounced as "Godless Commie Pinkos".

And I wish I were a member of this most God fearing bishop's eparchy. A true minister of the Gospel of the Prince of Peace. Don't we owe support to a bishop that was following the lead of the Pope? Also, wasn't it under the Arians where nearly all of the bishops of the Church went over to heresy, leaving just a few to witness to the True Faith? Sign me ashamed to be an American today. Moe

When I first read Bishop John's letter, I was dumbfounded. But then I realized that the Romanian Episcopacy is poorer than a churchmouse. The bishop lives out of his automobile as he moves about caring for his flock. From this perspective, it is easier to look at worldly issues as irrelvant. When you're poor, the machinations of the powerful are just that: machinations of the powerful.

But when those machinations have an impact on moral issues, or upon one's flock of 'recruits', then the bishop must act to address the issues of right or wrong. The Holy Father himself has been very clear that diplomacy is the way to go; he has sent emissaries to both Washington and Baghdad to urge diplomatic efforts. But surely the efforts of the evil one have overridden the prayers and efforts of people of good will to find a peaceful and non-aggresive way to resolve this problem.

What distressed me the most is the realization that several billions of dollars have been sluiced into the CIA, the NSA and the DIA to help defend the U.S. against external threats. And amongst all these paid agents, do we not have the opportunity to rid the world of Saddam Hussein though covert means? What the heck are we paying for? We had a 'reward' of more than 5 million dollars for that grundoon in Pakistan. And we got him. Would 25 million NOT be enough for Saddam?

I'll freely admit: I've got a cousin on the front lines. He's a great kid although a bit kinky at times: he's loves Metallica and AC/DC. I don't want Chris dead because we couldn't enlist the aid of our covert agents to do their job.

Today, outside the White House, there was a demonstration; some young folks were protesting on 16th Street near Lafayette Park; and they had chalked the sidewalk saying: "But my Daddy said I could have my own war".

Methinks that there is more to this "war" than meets the eye. 2 months ago, my Hess Gas station charged $1.41 a gallon; today it is $1.76 a gallon even though there is NO diminution in supply. Am I being duped? What of the folks on the West Coast who are paying more than $2.00 a gallon? Pardon me for being suspicious, but I really hate being a victim of others' machinations. And I really resent those who say that there is no causal nexus between gas prices and the "market forces", i.e., the executives of the international oil companies.

Bishop John seems to be looking at facts, and is deriving his perspective from facts and not from propaganda.

Yikes, what's next: holding an abusive priest responsible for his actions and not allowing derision of the whole priesthood for abuse; holding an abusive employer responsible for sweatshop working conditions and not blaming the workers; holding wetback workers responsible for the panoply of the evils of their workplaces; holding anybody responsible for his/her own acions and not blaming anybody 'affiliated' with the person.

It's scary. But morally we MUST stand up for the defense of life, even among those with whom we disagree. And if "war" is understood as a "necessary evil", then we must ensure that it is only the warmongers who kill each other and not the ordinary people who have no power nor voice in the political framework which purportedly represents them.

Blessings!

Dear Father Silouan,

Are you sure that your words are proper of a Christian monk? That is not Lent a period of refexion and "conversion" (change your mind), are not we called during these days to destroy the old man in us (the old man who makes war) and to become living images of Christ, the new man, who, dead to the sin, lives to make the will of the Father? What do the words "For the peace from above...For the peace of the whole world" that we repeat at every liturgical office mean for you? You say that the bishop of the Romanian Catholics in America has no idea of what he is talking about and that he is a disgrace as Catholic hierarch? May I ask your oppinion about the other Catholic hierarchs condeming the war? What do you think about the attitude of the Catholic bishop of Rome (pope John Paul II) who also comdemns the war? Why do American Catholic bishops not condem the war? When, after Pentecost, apostle St Peter was driven before the civil and religious authorities of the Israel people and try to forbid him to proclaim the Gospel he anwsered that he was to make the will of God and not the will of the men. St Thomas More (something like Henry VIII's "Prime Minister") is another example of civil desobedience to an unfair civil authority. Please, father, remember today in your prayers not only the president of the USA and the USA army but also the souls of our Catholic Chaldean and Christian Assyrian brothers and sisters that toguether with their moslems brothers and sisters will die in Irak these days as a result of this "fair" war againts "terrorism"?

Francisco, a sinner and very proud to be a Spanish contrary to the policy of our Prime Minister.

The Catholic bishop of the Canarian Islands (Spain) Ramon Echarren also condems the war (http://es.news.yahoo.com/030319/4/2m658.html):

19 de marzo de 2003, 15h11

Irak.- El obispo de la Di�cesis de Canarias, monse�or Echarren, pide a los cristianos que recen por la paz

El Obispo de la Di�cesis de Canarias, Ram�n Echarren, ha pedido a todos los cristianos, por medio de un escrito al que ha tenido acceso Europa Press, que recen al Se�or con el objeto "de que no se llegue a producir la guerra contra Irak". Monse�or Echarren quiere dejar claro que cualquier guerra, preventiva u ofensiva, "no representa una real y leg�tima defensa".

Seg�n el Obispo de la Di�cesis de Canarias, quien decide que se han agotado todos los medios pac�ficos que pone a disposici�n el Derecho Internacional, "asume una grave responsabilidad ante Dios, ante su conciencia y ante la historia".

Para Monse�or Echarren, la guerra "es una grav�sima ofensa a Dios y a la humanidad, una grav�sima ofensa a los m�s pobres y d�biles, y una grave injusticia social, moral y religiosa". Ram�n Echarren insiste en la necesidad de rezar por la paz para que se haga realidad "en Irak, en Oriente Medio y en el mundo entero".

Dear Friends,

Let us all pray very hard for all the people impacted by this war, for their suffering families on both sides, the U.S. and Iraq, for the Christians and Muslims of Iraq.

Alex

Alex !!!

Whether we like it or not we Brits are out there too, and the Aussies are there as well. Fair's fair please - none of us wanted this conflict - and I'm still not convinced of it's justification - but we are in it and now we have to pray for all those involved - those who make decisions, those who carry out the orders - and those who suffer as a result of the decision that others made.

God help all those involved.

Anhelyna

I also join the rest of the Forum in praying for peace.

A friend of mine has close family in Baghdad (Chaldeans) whose lives are in terrible danger now.

As far as His Grace John-Michael's pastoral letter. I applaud his taking his episcopal responsibilities seriously and acting on his conscience to write such a letter cum theological underpinnings.

Also I find his reasoning very persuasive.

If we are Orthodox (in Communion with Rome) and hold to an ecclesiology where Bishops are all equally successors of the Apostles (which is not to deny the primacy of any of the Patriarchs, etc.) then this seems a good development.

La mults ani to Preasfintsitul Ioan-Mihai.

Herb

Dear Anhelyna,

I am well rebuked - the "Coalition Forces."

Let's not forget Eritrea's partcipation either. I hope that Canada will one day have an army as strong as that of Eritrea so that we don't have to be an international embarassment to our U.N. neighbours . . .

Alex