Subject: the archbishop of philly to george bush
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 22:34:59 -0400
CARDINAL BEVILACQUA WRITES TO PRESIDENT BUSH REGARDING MILITARY ACTION
October 16, 2001
TheHonorable George W. Bush
ThePresident of the United States of America
TheWhite House
Washington,D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
Like all Americans, I have been reflecting a great deal on the Evil events
of
September 11, 2001, and about their immediate and long-term consequences. I
write to thank you for the strong and wise leadership you and your
administration have been providing, and to express my prayerful support for
the multidimensional response to the terrorist attacks that you have been
detailing for the American people.
Mr.President, you have rightly called these attacks acts of war. They are
the
most catastrophic in a series of lethal assaults that include the earlier
attack on the World Trade Center and the bombings of United States
embassies,
a military barracks and a naval vessel. Undeniably, terrorists pose a threat
to the lives and security of all people, and a particular danger to
Americans
here and overseas. Our government has the right and the duty to defend its
people against this modern plague upon mankind. It is encouraging to see
that
other nations also recognize that same moral obligation as they join us in
protecting humanity from the evils inherent in this latest form of tyranny.
Over the past few weeks, calls for retaliation motivated by anger and
vengeance have been replaced by careful reflection on the need for
self-defense. You and your chief advisors aver that the responses by our
government and the international coalition currently underway-- political,
financial, economic and military -- are directed toward defending the free
world. The United States and its partners in the coalition made clear their
preference to protect humanity by diplomatic means rather than military
force. Sadly, because past and recent diplomatic efforts and political and
economic sanctions failed, military action became necessary. These facts,
together with the well-founded hope that we will ultimately succeed in the
war against terrorism, demonstrate that we are engaged in a just war.
You,your administration and the Congress are to be commended for the manner
in which this war has been conducted so far. The formation of an
international coalition, the shared intelligence andcoordinated efforts of
national and international law enforcement agencies and the steps undertaken
to cut off the terrorists' financial resources are all part of a
well-conceived and effective plan. By all reports, the military action which
began on October 7, 2001, has been both measured and discriminate. I have
every confidence that our government will ensure that all future military
action will continue to be directed only against the terrorists and the
regimes that protect and support them.
You are to be commended also for the humanitarian assistance currently
being
given to millions of innocent people in Afghanistan who have suffered for
more than a decade at the hands of the Taliban. It is heartening to know
that the leaders of the coalition intend to continue this assistance in the
post-Taliban era, and to create the conditions needed for the people of
Afghanistan to establish a just and stable government. It is also
heartening
to know that the United States and other nations are prepared to support
such
a government in addressing the conditions and causes of povertyand illness
that have brought so much suffering to the innocent people of that land.
Hopefully, the unique alliances forged by this war on terrorism will foster
new political and diplomaticattempts to address the poverty, suffering and
hopelessness from which so many people in that region and elsewhere in the
world continue to suffer.
Mr.President, you have been realistic and forthright in stating that the war
against terrorism will take a long time. We, the American people, must be
equally realistic in recognizing that it will involve sacrifice on our part.
It will require patience in coping with security measures that will cause
inconvenience and may seem overly intrusive. It will require a willingness
to put the common good above some individual civil liberties. It will
require unity, courage and steadfastness, especially at times when there may
be little tangible evidence that we are succeeding or that a serious threat
still remains. For the men and women of the armed forces, the sacrifices
will be great indeed. They must be reassured that the cause they champion
is
just, and that this nation supports every moral means they employ in our
defense.
ManyAmericans believe that life in the United States was changed forever by
theterrorist attacks of September 11. To a degree, this is unquestionably
true. The unspeakable evil made vivid in the horrific images of commercial
aircraft commandeered by suicidal murderers crashing into the Twin Towers
ofthe World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field are now
permanently etched in the national memory. Mercifully, those images are
offset by countless displays of the fundamental goodness of the American
people. They have turned to God in this hour of need and prayed for
guidance,strength and healing. They have mourned the dead and prayed for
the repose of their souls. They have tended to the physical and spiritual
needs of their families and of all the injured. The valor and dedication
of
the rescuers, medical personnel, clergy,civil and religious leaders as well
as the loving and tangible concern of the entire nation prove that the
American spirit was not buried beneath the rubble. In its best instincts
and
highest ideals,America remains unchanged by the barbaric attacks that killed
thousands ofinnocent men and women. I pray that, in time, this nation will
also recover its sense of security and return to its way of life.
As we search for reasons for the attacks, we must be careful to avoid two
unsupportable conclusions: first, that they were God's punishment for moral
decay within our nation; second, that they were an inevitable and deserved
response to United States foreign policy. These were the acts of men with
evil in their hearts, perpetrated against innocent human beings. No reason
can be given to explain them or the loathing which inspired them. Still,as a
nation victimized by acts of incomprehensible hatred and violence, we must
emerge from this experience with a more profound respect for one another,
for
the world community and for human life itself. A new world order without
terrorism must also be one of global solidarity in caring for the needs of
every human being.
The anxieties of these perilous times have reminded us all of our
utter dependence upon God. Let us continue toask Him to help a ll men and
women to pursue justice and to live in peace.
With gratitude and with prayers for God's blessings upon you and this great
nation,I am
Sincerely yours,
Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua
Archbishop of Philadelphia
Archdioceseof Philadelphia
222North 17th Street
Philadelphia,PA 19103 |
