Hiroshima anniversary - RL packets - death penalty

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration. It also marks the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Perhaps we might benefit by pausing for a moment of silence today and reflect on the following excerpt from the 1983 pastoral letter of the U.S. bishops, The Challenge of Peace: God’s Promise and Our Response:

302. We speak here in a specific way to the Catholic community. After the passage of nearly four decades and a concomitant growth in our understanding of the ever growing horror of nuclear war, we must shape the climate of opinion which will make it possible for our country to express profound sorrow over the atomic bombing in 1945. Without that sorrow, there is no possibility of finding a way to repudiate future use of nuclear weapons or of conventional weapons in such military actions as would not fulfill just-war criteria.

The complete text of the pastoral can be found at: www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/TheChallengeofPeace.pdf.

The 2010-2011 Respect Life packets for the parishes have arrived and will be sent out to pastors and pastoral coordinators later today. I am attaching the memo that accompanies the packets. The contents of the Respect Life packets (in English and Spanish) can be downloaded at: www.usccb.org/prolife/programs/rlp/2010.

The State of Washington has set September 10 as the execution date for Cal Coburn Brown, one of 8 inmates on our state’s death row. I will be sending out an action alert and other information later this month, but please consider starting to organize your parish to oppose the use of the death penalty. General resources can be found at www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/dea.shtml, www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/cappunish and www.catholicsmobilizing.org. Please also note that one of the articles in this year’s Respect Life packet is a statement by Bishop Robert W. Finn of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph (Missouri), “Divine Mercy and the Death Penalty.”

Our witness for life, justice and peace is vital to human society, but we also need to take time to re-create. I hope you are taking some time to enjoy the wonders of summer. I will be out on vacation and making my annual retreat the next two weeks – returning to the office on Aug. 23.

Peace,

Jim Thomas
Director of Adult Faith Formation for
Catholic Social Teaching and Family Life
Archdiocese of Seattle