By Rev. Claude Pomerleau, C.S.C.
In response to the Beacon Staff Editorial (11/15/07), "University should pick a side on war," I offer a personal view on some of the issues raised. The editorial says "...the Catholic Church came out against the war in Iraq."
You wish! In fact, according to polls, most Catholics supported the invasion and occupation of Iraq. The U.S. Bishops Conference used the Just War Doctrine to proclaim the "war in Iraq" unjust and immoral.
We can quibble over their failure to be aggressive and clear about their own position. For my part, I applauded the bishops' position and repeatedly argued with fellow Catholics that this war was stupid and unjustified. It was from the beginning, and not just because it was managed by political troglodytes. You know their names. Some are gone from the scene, others are still in office.
Should the bishops have said more? Might they have marched to protest the arbitrary and unjustified invasion and occupation of a sovereign nation? Could they have reminded us that the invasion and occupation is leaving that nation divided into three parts - just as Julius Caesar left Gaul divided into three parts, after slaughtering more than a million of my ancestors, and displacing several million more into neighboring lands? And, that he then strangled their Chief, Vercingetorix ... get my drift? I don't expect bishops to tell me how to evaluate the politics of a military decision. Just the morality.
But, the point of the editorial is that perhaps UP is less clear than the bishops. In fact, I think we as a university have been just as clear, maybe more clear within our teaching mission. Now, I appreciate your gall - or is it spleen? - in claiming that the presence of ROTC somehow dilutes, or even contradicts, Catholic teaching on war. It does not. It does the opposite.
In fact, in this country, we have a civilian military. Some of the military leaders will be trained at this university to distinguish clearly between the just defense of one's country and an immoral invasion and occupation of another nation. And they must decide what to do about it.
ROTC students at UP have as much right to frame their commitment to the defense of our liberties, as pacifists at UP have a right to challenge the propensity of Christians to torture and kill in the name of national security - and then, call for God's blessing on these immoral actions. I wish that we would give the same financial encouragement to those who volunteer to serve their country in the Peace Corps and with other service organizations, including pacifists as we do for ROTC. For me, the presence of pacifists on this campus is as much a part of our mission as is the presence of ROTC.
Finally, the editorial asks UP to pick a side on this immoral war. For me, the students in my classes are UP. And they have picked sides. I hope that you continue asking me, and them, what we think about war and peace, morality and politics, compassion and forgiveness.
The Rev. Claude Pomerleau, C.S.C., is a ?political science professor and director ?of the Social Justice Program
