Veteran’s Day, Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 2014 -- THE
WAR TO END ALL WAR, DID NOT
We still
believe more weapons and soldiers there will be helpful?
From Fr Emmanuel Charles McCarthy --
“November 11 was a legal holiday
commemorating the return to peace on November 11 at 11 a.m. when the armistice
that ended Word War I took effect on that day at that time in 1918. It was
declared a legal holiday with these words:
Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the
cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human
annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful
relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and
Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary
of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises
designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between
nations; etc.
An armistice is an agreement made by opposing sides in a
war to stop fighting. It is derived from the Latin armistitium,
which is composed of arma, 'arms' and stitium, 'stoppage.'”
Haven’t we had
enough fallen heroes—and vastly greater numbers of fallen enemies, plus
innocents caught in crossfire? The
courage of those who fought and died is known and often commemorated.
It’s time to take
the lives of those who lived or died in war, but would not kill, seriously into
deep consideration. Was it fear,
revulsion, their faith, the Gospel, that motivated their refusal to fight? Is it more heroic to kill for country, or
follow one’s conscience, to respect all life even the enemy’s, even under
imminent threat of one’s own death, risk to friend and family? What would Jesus do? And those who don’t know Jesus, and those of
little or no faith?
What does it mean
to refuse, or desert, the hell of war?
Some, as in the case of Detroiter Eddie Slovik in WWII Europe, have done
so, knowing full well that they would die executed reluctantly by their fellow
soldiers for doing so.
These are
horrible questions to answer for human nature, especially when violence has
reached fever pitch, wars breaking out persistently in every corner of the
globe. It’s beyond human capacity to
follow Jesus in this path of unconditional nonviolent mercy, but calling on
God’s grace, it’s what we’re all asked to do.
There are many whose
courage—as committed peacemakers, perhaps even those “deserters,” in past wars
and current circumstances—should be brought to mind.
From WWI -
Ben
Salmon, principled Catholic father, 19 years old, who refused induction,
died a few years later from complications of prison abuse.
From WWII --
Margarette Sommer –
Catholic social worker in Germany who risked her life, saving many Jews.
Fr.
Alfred Delp – Priest and writer who organized against the Nazi regime,
hanged by the Gestapo in 1945.
Fr. Maximillian
Kolbe –Priest and saint who took the place in Auschwitz of a man to be
executed because someone had tried to escape.
Fr.
Max Joseph Metzger Priest and prolific
journalist who wrote against the Nazi regime, and was beheaded by the Gestapo
in 1944.
Eddie
Slovik – petty thief and Catholic, drafted into WWII, who determined he could not
fight—executed by firing squad.
Otto Schimek – Austrian 19
year old executed in Poland for refusing Wermacht orders. [I’m researching to write articles on him
now]
More recently
--
Dorothy
Day – On refusal to participate in nuclear attack civil Defense drills in
N.Y. 1957. {at link skip down to the
paragraph just before the title “Why We Do It.”}
Mother
Theresa – Risks crossing Beruit’s Green Line in the midst of war to rescue Muslim
children.
Paul
Chappell – West Point grad, military family, deployed to Iraq—now works to
create a nonviolent peace force as well trained as the military.
Kimberly
Rivera – Mother of Four, Sentenced to Military Prison for Emigrating to
Canada, Refusing to Serve in Iraq.
Camilo
Mejia – Wanted service in Iraq to advance his opportunities in the U.S., found
that killing changes you, went AWOL, imprisoned.
Joshua
Casteel – West Point grad, evangelical Christian, interrogator at Abu
Graibe in Iraq, realized war violates the Gospel, became C.O.
These lists are a small sampling of an ever increasing
number—those helping move the world away from war, towards the Gospel way of
peacemaking.
Illumination by Kathy Brahney
11-11-14 Feast Day of another veteran, St. Martin of Tours, 316? – 397 AD
Veteran of Roman
army who became a conscientious objector, and bishop.
“A conscientious
objector who wanted to be a monk; a monk who was maneuvered into being a
bishop; a bishop who fought paganism as well as pleaded for mercy to
heretics—such was Martin of Tours, one of the most popular of saints and one of
the first not to be a martyr.
Born of pagan
parents in what is now Hungary and raised in Italy, this son of a veteran was
forced at the age of 15 to serve in the army. He became a Christian
catechumen and was baptized at 18. It was said that he lived more like a monk
than a soldier. At 23, he refused a war bonus and told his
commander: "I have served you as a soldier; now let me serve Christ.
Give the bounty to those who are going to fight. But I am a soldier of Christ and it is not lawful for me to fight."
After great difficulties, he was discharged and went to be a disciple of Hilary
of Poitiers.”
References – in order
