Search

Results

Mideast peacemakers meet resistance

24 Aug 2014 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The psalmist is grateful to the Lord for having “heard the words of my mouth.” The words of war dissenters in both Gaza and Israel, however, seem to fall on deaf ears for the most part. In fact, dissent is quashed on both sides of the conflict, leaving peacemakers marginalized or silenced.Exhausted by a month of pounding by Israel's military—on top of seven years of stifling closure of the tiny Mediterranean coastal strip—harried residents of Gaza have quietly begun to question Hamas' handling of the crisis and the wisdom of repeatedly going to war with Israel. "We do not want to be bombarded every two or three years. We want to lead a good life: Sleep well, drink well, and eat well," said Ziad Rizk, a 37-year-old father of two. He stared at the damaged apartment building where he lived. His sofa and a blue baby carriage were perched precariously on a tilting concrete slab that was his floor.It is impossible to say how widespread such discontent is among Gaza's 1.8 million residents. Under Hamas rule, it's rare and dangerous to share even as much as a hint of criticism of the government with outsiders.Still, his boldness in voicing his opinions points to how desperate many Gazans have become. More than 2,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly civilians, nearly 10,000 wounded, and some 250,000 displaced since the current fighting started July 8.For its part, in Israel dissent against the war in Gaza is forcefully quashed. The few who speak out complain of being harassed, intimidated, or even sacked from jobs. Liberal newspaper Haaretz decried Friday what it called a "witch hunt" against leftists and civil rights organizations after the director of the national service administration, Sar-Shalom Jerbi, told rights group B'Tselem it was being blacklisted as an employer.The rights group denounced the move as an attack on Israeli democracy, and asked supporters to sign an online petition to support freedom of expression and democracy. Yizhar Beer of the Keshev Centre for the Protection of Democracy in Israel says it has never been more difficult to voice dissent in a country that prides itself on being the only democracy in the Middle East.Homily hint: Truth is the first casualty of war, the saying goes. Perhaps the second casualty is tolerance, especially for those who resist the war effort. Some say dissent in a time of war is disloyal, but consider this: If everyone dissented, there would be no one left to pull the trigger or drop the bomb. Do we dare to work for such a day? Do we dare not to? Source: Articles by Jennie Matthew for Agence France Presse, Hamza Hendawi for Associated Press, and BBC News

Peace middle east war and peace peaceful dissent
Separatist elections pain Ukraine

09 Nov 2014 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The psalmist this Sunday speaks of how God’s city is secure and its living waters cheer the inhabitants. Rebel separatists, in secure control of key Russian-speaking cities of eastern Ukraine, cheered the results of rogue elections last weekend in which their leaders predictably emerged victorious. Kiev and the west denounced the elections as a sham and warned Moscow of consequences if Russia formally recognizes the elections. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called an emergency meeting of his security chiefs for Tuesday to discuss new ways of dealing with the separatist challenge, which could create a new "frozen conflict" in post-Soviet Europe and further threaten the territorial unity of Ukraine, which lost control of its Crimean peninsula in March when it was annexed by Russia.The Ukrainian president denounced the vote as an "electoral farce," saying it violated a bedrock deal struck in early September in the Belarusian capital Minsk intended to pave the way for a settlement of the separatist problem. His sentiments were echoed by the White House, which condemned what it called illegitimate, so-called “elections” and warned Russia that economic penalties will increase if Moscow continues to violate the Minsk deal.Calling for “adjustments” to be made in the way he handled the east, Poroshenko said he intended to scrap law that would have offered “special status” to areas in the east including those controlled by the rebels. The special status law envisaged allowing the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to run their own affairs and also offered separatist fighters freedom from prosecution.Kiev says the Minsk agreement provided only for election of local officials under Ukrainian law, and not for separatist ballots aimed at bringing in leaders of breakaway entities who seek close association or even union with Russia.Homily hint: Efforts at peace appear to have broken down in eastern Ukraine, but continued conflict will only lead to increased suffering. It is time for religious leaders in both Ukraine and Russia to speak with one voice for peace and reconciliation. Surely there are alternatives to continued bloodshed. Source: An article by Thomas Grove and Richard Balmforth for Reuters

ukraine war and peace religious leaders for peace
For December 25: Let there be peace, Mideast

28 Dec 2014 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Preaching the News will not be published on January 1. Look for the next issue on Thursday, January 8. Enjoy this week’s edition covering Christmas to Epiphany, and have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!The prologue to John’s gospel this Christmas Day stirs the heart with its promise that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” This level of optimism is sorely needed in the Mideast at the close of a year that even by this embattled region’s standards was extreme in the level and severity of its violence and bloodshed. Another year has passed in Syria, with no end in sight for a three-year conflict that has claimed 200,000 lives, injured a million, and displaced nearly half the population. As well, the year saw the rise of ISIS, or the Islamic State, a Sunni extremist group and self-proclaimed caliphate that stunned the world this summer with a quick sweep from western Syria into northern and central Iraq before its momentum was slowed by U.S. airstrikes. The first Western journalist in the world to be allowed extensive access to ISIS territories in Syria and Iraq returned from the region with a warning: The group is “much stronger and much more dangerous” than anyone in the West realizes. Jürgen Todenhöfer, 74, is a renowned German journalist and publicist who traveled through Turkey to Mosul, the largest city occupied by ISIS, after months of negotiations with the group’s leaders. Todenhöfer said his strongest impression was “that ISIS is much stronger than we think here.” He said it now has “dimensions larger than the UK” and is supported by “an almost ecstatic enthusiasm that I have never encountered in any other warzone. Each day, hundreds of willing fighters arrive from all over the world,” he said. Valerie Amos, the U.N.’s top relief official, recently told the Security Council that she had “run out of words” to fully explain the “brutality, violence, and callous disregard for human life” witnessed in Syria today. “The parties to the conflict continue to ignore the most basic principles of humanity,” Amos said. “In many parts of Syria the level of violence has worsened, with civilians continuing to pay heavily with loss of life, serious injuries, psychological trauma, ongoing and recurring displacement, and massive damage to property and infrastructure.” Add to this ongoing violence in Iraq and Lebanon, and the volatile state of Israeli-Palestinian relations. While Palestinians push for U.N. recognition of statehood, a seven-week battle erupted in Gaza this summer with rockets fired from Gaza into Israel and Israeli bombardment and ground fighting that killed more than 2,200 people, the vast majority of them Gazans. Four months later, upwards of 50,000 Gazans are still homeless, many still living in the U.N. schools in which dozens were injured and killed by tank shells and missiles during the conflict. There has been virtually no reconstruction, little by way of new jobs. And the fundamental sources of resentment between the parties continues unabated. Homily hint: Peace on earth? Not this year. Perhaps not completely in any year. But that should not stop us from hoping for it, praying for it, and working for it, locally and in far-off places. Today let us dedicate ourselves anew to serving the Prince of Peace in the coming year. Source: Cecily Hilleary for Voice of America, The Daily Star (Dhaka), and Kim Sengkupta for The Independent (UK)

mideast conflict war and peace islamic extremism
Ukraine’s pain gains leaders’ attention

15 Feb 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Jesus this Sunday reaches out to mend the breach between the “clean” and the “unclean” by healing a leper. Huddling for cease-fire talks in Belarus, the leaders of France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine struggled to close the widening breach between armed forces loyal to Ukraine and those backed by Russia. Heavy fighting continued as both sides tried to make gains on the ground to put pressure on their opponents across the table. Homily hint: All war is tragic but civil war—pitting city against city, family against family, neighbor against neighbor—is particularly grievous. Pray for a swift end to hostilities so that the really hard work can begin—peacemaking. For more on Ukraine cease-fire talks, see: Leaders hold Ukraine peace talks as fighting surges; Leaders grapple over Ukraine deal behind closed doors in Minsk

ukraine war and peace
The U.S. takes aim at ISIS

15 Feb 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Saint Paul encourages followers in this Sunday’s second reading to be respectful of people of all backgrounds, giving offense to no one. The Mideast terror group ISIS had been anything but respectful in its brutal dealings with people of differing backgrounds and religious minorities. Wednesday President Obama formally asked Congress to authorize a three-year military campaign against the group. The campaign would avoid a large-scale invasion and occupation but could include limited ground operations by American forces. Homily hint: How do we uproot violence at the root? The path, Jesus demonstrated with his life and death, is forgiveness and reconciliation, not violence and recrimination. We’ve had 2,000 years to learn this truth, but have yet to live it on a large scale. Pray and work for peace. For more on the president’s request for war authorization, see: Obama’s Dual View of War Power Seeks Limits and Leeway; Obama asks fresh war powers, says IS group 'going to lose'

war and peace isis
Ukraine beats a hasty retreat in conflict

22 Feb 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The psalmist turns to the Lord in time of trouble and is filled with the joy of salvation. There was no salvation for Ukrainian forces in trouble in the embattled town of Debaltseve, who chose a risky overnight breakout rather than surrender as they abandoned the town to Russian-backed militants. President Petro O. Poroshenko sought to cast the retreat in a positive light, but the loss of the town was clearly a devastating setback for the army at the hands of the separatists. Homily hint: Hopes ignited by last week’s cease-fire agreement between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists were damaged by the ongoing fighting in Debaltseve. Peacemakers must nonetheless carry on here as in the many other conflict zones in the world. While we pray for world peace, let’s start the process by making peace within our own families and communities. For more on the conflict in Ukraine, see: Ukrainian Soldiers’ Retreat From Eastern Town Raises Doubt for Truce; Ukrainian forces quit besieged town after rebel assault

ukraine war and peace
No end runs from Congress on Iran nuclear deal, bishops urge

19 Apr 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

This Sunday’s second reading warns members of the early church to avoid blundering into sin. The top spokesman on international affairs of the U.S. Catholic bishops warned Congress against blundering into delicate negotiations going on between world powers and Iran over that nation’s nuclear ambitions. The bishops support the framework for a final agreement recently announced and “oppose efforts that seek to undermine the negotiation process or make a responsible multi-party agreement more difficult to achieve and implement,” Bishop Oscar Cantu, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace Committee, wrote to House and Senate lawmakers on Monday.Homily hint: Bishops’ statements on anything sexual make the headlines, but when the bishops speak out forcefully for peace and diplomacy, as they have in the case of the Iran negotiations, it is barely noted. Let’s make sure the bishops are heard on this crucial matter affecting world peace. For more on U.S. Catholic bishops’ support of Iran agreement, see: U.S. Catholic bishops back Obama on Iran, warn Congress against meddling

nuclear power iran us catholic bishops bishops on war and peace