Leonor Esguerra: May the Spirit of peace enlighten you

Rev. Tim Brown, S.J., Provincial
Maryland Provincial Offices

Dear Fr. Provincial,

My name is Leonor Esguerra, Colombian citizen and follower of Christ´s teachings concerning peace and justice for all men and women.  I also share the Jonah House and Dorothy Day Catholic Worker´s principles on these matters.

Living in Colombia I have a first hand experience of what social unjustice and intolerance have done to my country - 50 years of unsolved armed struggle has shredded to pieces our entire society- violence and war have dehumanized all conflicting forces to the seeming point of no return.

Through my connection with Jonah House I have learned about the stand Fr. Thomas Clifford, S.J., pastor in St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parish, has taken regarding Kathy Boyland´s petition for peace in so far as he thinks more than a prayer it is a political position that disturbs some of the faithful in the parish community.  However, it seems to me he fails to acknowledge his siding with the disturbed ones as an equal political stand in favor of war, when all is said and done.

For most of the outside world US war against Afganistan and Irak benefits arm dealers and oil foreign investment in those countries, with total disregard for the culture and the wellbeing of  their people. In Jesus´ time the Romans were the Americans of our time and I´m sure He would have approved Kathy´s petition for the soldiers to refuse supporting immoral war with their arms.

I suppose in Nazi Germany, Kathy would have been sent to jail.  Thank God USA has not gone that far yet but if things progress in that direction she will not only be outsted from her catholic parish, as is now the case, but will end up in prison as have other pacifists like Dan Barrigan -during the Vietnam war- and so many others in these days of hatred and intolerance.

May the Spirit of peace enlighten you in this instance and may this incident bring Pastor Tim Brown and his parishoners closer to an understanding of true human respect and peace.

Sincerely,
Leonor Esguerra,  Teacher