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Messengers of Nonviolence

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Messengers of Nonviolence AKl ..llrr UllMY THE NOV 38 CATHOLIC Subscription: Vol. Lill, No. 6 September, 1986 254 Per Year Price le The Goss-Mayrs Messengers ofNonviolence By ROBERT ELLSBERG For over thirty years Jean and Hilde­ between your work, especially in Latin gard Goss-Mayr have traveled the troub- · America, and liberation theology? led parts of the globe, spreading the HILDEGARD GOSS.MA YR: We lived message of Christian nonviolence, and in Latin America when liberation theol­ leaving in their wake a trail of resistance ogy was first evolving, and I believe that and hope. on several points it has an essential mes­ As observers at Vatican II they were sage. One is that you have to bring to­ largely responsible for the inclusion of gether your faith and the situation in passages in Gaudium et Spes recogniz­ which you live. You have to know your ing the rights of conscientious objectors situation - know it well - and then you and commending nonviolence. In the must ask yourself how the word of God, Sixties and Seventies, they were based in bow the Bible, helps you to find an an· Latin America where they worked with swer in this situation. So the old dilemma labor unions, base communities, and pas­ of the separation between faith and life is toral agents on promoting nonviolent ac­ overcome. It is a matter of reincarnating tion for the vindication of ·justice and Christian faith and love in the historical human rights. In 1974, they helped situation of a continent. From this per­ organize a continental network of non­ spective, it became very clear that the violent groups, "Servicio Paz y.Justicia." Church had to stand on the side of _the In the last ten years, they have carried poor. their work to Southern Africa, Lebanon, But as for the question of violence, we Israel, Eastern Europe, and most recent­ have known many people who went into ly to the Philippines. Currently they the guerrilla because they saw no other serve as Vice Presidents of the Interna· way. Nobody bad taught them another tional Fellowship of Reconciliation. way. And we have to be very honest and This interview-took place last April in saythat this reflects a failing in Catholic Boston, where the Goss-Mayrs were theology, because we have not properly leading a retreat. taught the radical message of nonvio­ ROBERT ELLSBERG: Many critics of lence. As for liberation theology .. it liberation theology tend to associate it made the very important step of seeing · with violence. What has the relation been (Continued on page 4) A Conspiracy of Love By TIM LAMBERT It is just a short walk from the street supplies. Destroy homes. Scatter fami­ to the Riverside Research Institute lies. Contaminate water. Imprison dis­ CMeinrad Craighead (RRI). Once inside the old McGraw-Hill senters. Inflict wounds, burns. Kill the building on West 42nd Street in midtown living." The other side listed the works of Manhattan, one continues through the mercy: "Feed the hungry. Clothe the na­ The Only Ans~er art decoJobby, not turning to take the el­ ked. Give drink to the thirsty. Visit the evators to the left or right, but rather imprisoned. Care for the sick. Bury the By DOROTHY DAY beading straight to a double set of locked dead." Between the two we placed a glass doors at the end of the ball. RRI is a smaller sign which asked: "Which work (Reprinted excerpt from The Catholic good in them, all the Christ in them. God Pentagon-funded research facility which shall we choose?" Worker, April, 1948.) sees Christ, His Son, in us and loves us. works on the star wars weapons and oth­ Then, seated up against the doors, non­ Whenever I groan within myself and And so we should see Christ in others, er weapons meant to help fight (or pre­ violently blocking the entrance of incom­ think how hard it is to keep writing about and nothing else, and love them. There vent, we Me told) a nuclear war. It is just ing workers, we said morning prayer, love in these times of tension and strife can never be enough of it. There can one more tenant in this office building, sang, and read aloud voices which spoke which may, at any moment, become for never be enough thinking about it. St. though, an accepted companion to insur­ to us of peace: Pope John XXIII, Die­ us all a time of terror, I thil)k to myself: John of the Cross said that where there ance companies, filmmakers, couriers, trich Bonhoeffer, Isaiah, Jesus and Paul, What else is the world interested in? was no love, put love and you would draw and others. Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, Pope What else do we all want, each one of us, love out. The principle certainly works. But in that short walk, one necessarily John Paul II. except to love and be loved, in our fami­ I've seen my friend Sister Peter Claver, crosses a great distance. Just outside, on Still, so many voices were missing. lies, in our work, in all our relationships? with that warm friendliness of hers the streets, are homeless men and wom­ They were the voices of the poor, who God is Love. Love casts out fear. Even which is partly natural, but which is in­ en coming from the Port Authority bus continue to be absent from such actions, the most ardent revolutionist, seeking to tensified and made enduring by grace, terminal next door, where they have been but in whose name we try, awkwardly, to change the world, to overturn the tables come into a place which is cold with ten­ routed by police. Homeless mothers and speak. We come because we hear that of the money changers, is trying to make sion and conflict, and warm the house their children pass, on their way from the voice of the poor calling us, both into a world where it is easier for people to with her love. Holland Hotel across the street, to which their lives, and to spesk, saying what is love, to stand in that relationship to each And this is not easy. Everyone will try the city ships homeless families. -Other already so plain: that things are narrow­ other. We want, with all our hearts, to to kill that love in you, even your nearest poor and homeless people are also seen, ing to this choice - either the weapons or love, to be loved. And not just in the fam· and dearest; at least, they will try to on the move. the poor. The universe cannot allow us to ily, but to look upon all as our mothers, prune it. "Don't you know this, that and Six of us from the Catholic Worker act­ choose both. In our mad rush for securi­ sisters, brothers, children. It is when we the other thing about this person? He or ed on August 25th to try to close the di­ ty, the weapons are now being taken up, love the most intensely and most human­ she did this. If you don't want to hear it, vide that separates these two worlds. offering violence, eliminating trust, ly that we can recognize how tepid is our you mµst hear. It is for your good to hear Under the neat lettering above the glass eclipsing love. The poor continue to grow love for others. The keenness and intensi­ it. It is my duty to tell you, and it is your doors of RRI we attached our own sign, in numbers, and are left behind, forgot­ ty of love brings with it suffering, of duty to take recognition of it. You must with words taken from the Second Vati­ ten. No money, trust,'or love remains for course, but joy too because it is a fore­ stop loving, modify your loving, show can Council: "The arms race is an utterly them now, as we are surrounded by so taste of heaven. I often think in relation your disapproval. You cannot possibly treacherous trap for humanity, · one many weapons. to my love for little Becky, Susie, and love - if you pretend you do, you are a which injures the poor to an intolerable To contradict, to stand against, to now Eric: "That is the way I must love hypocrite and the truth is not in you. You degree." (Gaudium et Spes, #81) In front choose instead the poor becomes a costly every child and want to serve, cherish, are contributing to the delinquency of of the planters to either side we propped operation. It is a choice to live without and protect them ...." that person by your sentimental blind- placards. One enumerated the works of weapons, allowing ourselves to tie dis- When you love people, you see all ~be (Continued on page 6) war: "Destroy crops and »utd. Seize food (Continued on page 2) THE CATHOLIC'WORKER September, 1986 September, 1986 MARYHOUSE By EILEEN LAWTER WORKER Shortly before I left Boston for New land, and Fr. Dennis Leder, who is back CATHOLIC~ York some four months ago, I had a for this month after a year in Central Published eight times a year. January-February, March-April, May, June-July, dream. In it, I was with Catholic Worker America. It always feels good to have August, September, October-November, December friends from both cities. We piled into people come home. cars and went to a gathering somewhere. We've had visits and new members to .ORGAN OF THE CATHOLIC WORKER MOVEMENT Once there, we each had to "do some­ our house as well.
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