From the Associate…

MAKING JUDGEMENTS ABOUT THE IMPENDING WAR
 With war looming, serious Catholics are naturally  concerned with questions of the morality of warfare, and of this conflict in particular. They are rightly interested in what the Church might have to say about such questions. My concern here is not to give any personal opinions about this, but rather to lay out the parameters for thinking about this and making judgments with Catholic truth in mind.
 First, and one hopes this is a given: Christians are against war as a general proposition, just as they are against all forms of violence. Love for one's neighbor and violence do not  easily go together, to put it mildly. So the Christian always starts with a hope to avoid violence and conflict, and a  determination to find a way forward in love, always ready to forgive an injury and to seek peace. This is true in personal matters and in matters of government and international  relations.
 Nonetheless, Christians are not utopians, and know enough about the fallen nature of humanity to realize that there are times when some kind of violence is justifiable, even unavoidable. The long Catholic tradition has acknowledged that in matters of self-defense, in order to preserve our own life or the lives of those we are responsible for against a violent aggressor, we can be justified in restraining the aggressor, even by violence if necessary. On the personal level this means we can defend ourselves against someone who would physically harm us, or harm our family or those we are responsible for. In civil government Christians recognize the need to put handcuffs on the rapist, or to constrain the  murderer, even though these are violent actions. It is based on the principle of self-defense.
 When it comes to warfare, the same principle applies. War is to be avoided if at all possible, especially because such huge conflicts inevitably have unintended consequences and harm innocent people. No war of simple aggression is justifiable or moral from a Christian point of view. War can be justified only when it is waged in self-defense against a dangerous  aggressor. This is the basis of the so-called "just war theory." There have been those who have suggested radical pacifism, but it is a difficult position to sustain, since it would also mean the disbanding of all police forces, and the readiness to endure whatever violence might come, whether, murders, rapes, or beatings. This is why Catholics, and the great majority of Christians, have not said that war is never justifiable; what they have said is that war is seldom justifiable, and all possible measures need to be taken to avoid a recourse to violence.
 How do we know when the situation is such that self-defense justifies a response of war? This is a judgment, a matter of prudence in a given set of circumstances. The debate in the current situation among Catholics has been around whether we are in such a situation. Iraq, or more accurately its current dictator, is clearly a threat of some kind, but of what kind? Is this the kind of threat that would justify a self-defensive action? Will the consequences of such action lead to peace or to further conflict? Is there no way to adequately deal with the threat apart from the violence of war? Such are the questions being debated.
 The specific response of the hierarchy of the Church, both Pope and American bishops, involves three important points for us to be clear about. The first is that it is their judgment

that we are not, at least not yet, in a situation that justifies a violent response. This is from a recent American Bishops' "Statement on Iraq:"
  With the Holy See and many religious leaders throughout the world, we believe that resort to war would not meet the strict  conditions in Catholic teaching for the use of military force... In our judgment, resort to war in this case should have broad international support. As crucial decisions draw near, we join the Holy See in once again urging all leaders to step back from the brink of war and to continue to work through the United Nations to contain, deter and disarm Iraq.
 The second important point is that the Church recognizes that this is a matter of prudence rather than an absolute principle, and that good Catholics might differ in prudential judgment.
 As pastors and teachers, we understand that there are no easy answers. People of good will may differ on how traditional norms apply in this situation. The gravity of the threat and whether force would be preemptive are matters of debate, as are the potential consequences of using or failing to use military force.
 The third is that the laity rather than the clergy are  primarily responsible for such questions.
 We urge all Catholics, especially lay men and women who are called to be a leaven in society, to continue to think deeply about the choices we face, to review carefully the teaching of our Church and to speak out strongly in accord with their conscience.
 So: Pope and Bishops are giving a judgment about the current situation which we should weigh with great seriousness. But they are being careful not to bind anyone's conscience. This is a matter for the conscience of each  individual. With this in mind, let's do our best to remain in charity with our Catholic brothers and sisters. Those who  oppose war should not be branded unpatriotic. Those who support war should not be called bad Catholics.
 And for heaven's sake and earth's as well, let's keep  praying.

School News…
CONGRATULATIONS TO ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST SPELLING BEE WINNERS!
Grade 1: 1st- Matt Hunt, 2nd-Evan Jobin, 3rd-Jon Pfeifer
Grade 2: 1st- Nick Valentinetti, 2nd- Gabriella Chenoweth, 3rd- Rachel Pick.
Grade 3: 1st-Andrew McDonald, 2nd- Rachel Beck, 3rd-  Rob Hunt
Grade 4: 1st-Tyler Tandeski, 2nd- Matt Boris, 3rd- Rachel Palermo
Grade 5: 1st-Tony Bennek, 2nd-Jeremy Huray, 3rd-Joey Hockert
Grade 6: 1st-Jackie Meyer, 2nd- Leah Tousignant, 3rd- John Braun
Grade 7: 1st- Katrina Krogh, 2nd- Amanda Mokres, 3rd- Jake King.
Grade 8: 1st- Tony McDonald, 2nd- Charlie Sawyer, 3rd- Peter Labuza.

There are NO CLASSES March 24-28 because of Spring Break.