No Charge- Issue 5 Winter 2014

Reflections on the Peace on Earth Violence Catholic Worker As I write this Ghassan and Udai By Bruce Kent Abu Jamal, cousins from the Jerusa- lem district of Jabal Mukaber, The Catholic Worker movement has walked into a synagogue in Israel been, at a distance, a big part of my and killed 5 people, 4 of whom were life for a long time. Someone must rabbis, with a meat cleaver and a have given me a book about Doro- gun. thy Day--astonishing and coura- In response to any violence by Pal- geous woman, once a communist estinians revenge is promised by but a later a convert to Catholicism. Israel. In response to violence by earth ways. To the younger me , as I had the privilege of meeting her in Israel revenge is promised by Pales- a middle class private school Catho- London, and then at the Spode tinians. Violence in the Middle East lic just out of the army, I could only House Dominican conference centre as elsewhere is the default response admire , to start with, from a dis- in about 1970. Her lifestyle and to violence. According to the Global tance. I was , in my own opinion, a commitment to the poor as well as Peace Index 500 million people live good and even an aggressive Catho- to radical and pacifist politics made in countries at risk of instability and lic , always ready to de- a deep impression on conflict, at risk of violence. me . So did the life of fend the church but If you accept that a certain amount Peter Maurin ,the pro- quite strong on imme- of violence is acceptable you need phetic , wandering, diate charity. In fact at to be clear about the consequence French ex religious University we even of violence. Jacques Ellul suggests Brother, whose Easy formed a St Vincent de that there are 5 laws of violence. Essays--poetry on so- Paul group, visited the cial issues-- always hit local poor and took their 1. Continuity. children out on picnics. the nail on the head.. Bruce Kent Once you start More or less together But living with them? using violence they founded the Catholic Worker Not my style. you cannot get movement in New York.. Those Later on I learnt that even before away from it. independent houses of hospitality WW2 there had been a CW commu- Violent revolu- have now spread to many parts of nity in Lancashire created by the tion may replace the and now to this courageous Bob Walsh. Then in the the previous re- country as well. 1960s one in London. It was in the gime but it in turn will be main- tained by violence. The Prime Min- The Catholic Worker paper comes 1990s that the new generation of ister will be protected by men with regularly from the USA and is al- houses started with the one in Ox- guns just as he himself once carried ways an encouragement. Folksy no ford. Then another in Glasgow and a gun. doubt, and with over -lengthy arti- now one just up the road from us in cles, it is an inspiration.. These odd north London. With that one I am a 2. Reciprocity. Violence creates vio- people thousands of miles away little involved. lence, begets violence and procre- were and are trying to live out the I don’t think organising an evening ates violence. Saddam Hussein call of the Gospel in very down to ruled Iraq through violence. We (continued on page 6) (continued on page 2) 1 Violence ment of murder, that the recruiting and drilling of armies which Kings, By Michael Sutherland Emperors, and Presidents carry on

with so much self-assurance are (continued from page 1) preparations for murder’. invaded Iraq resulting in 100,000 As Christians living in Scotland we Support Us: civilians killed, ISIS now rampages have the sexual violence against with mass killings and beheadings… Non-perishable food donations wel- children and the violence against come. We are particularly looking 3. Sameness. Every violence is iden- women. We may consider ourselves for hot chocolate, sugar, fruit juice, tical with every other violence. The non-violent however what we do tinned meat, tuna and black bags . violence of the soldier who kills for through others we do ourselves. We You can also set up a standing order to make a donation to us—see the us is the same as the violence of the have our army which consistently back page. policeman who bludgeons someone each year for the last hundred years to keep us safe is the same as the has been involved in killing some- Join Us: violence of the protester who com- where (the UK scores 47th in the mits arson to protest our rights. 2014 Global Peace Index). Down in Round Table Discussions England at RAF Waddington near On the 3rd Tuesday of every month 4. Justification The man who uses we meet to discuss a topic and help us violence always tries to justify it Lincoln we control armed drones together to clarify our thoughts. and himself. which are today killing people in We meet at 6:15 in the Place of Wel- come and share some food. Please come along or get in touch.

Soup Kitchen Fridays 9-10pm Help out at our weekly Soup Kitchen in Cadogan Street, Glasgow City Cen- tre

Place of Welcome for Refugees: Saturdays 9am-1pm Help teach English at Garnethill Multicultural Centre (Basement) 21 Rose Street Glasgow or just socialise.

Monthly Witness at Faslane Nu- clear Submarine Base Join us on the first Saturday of each Catholic Worker banner at the Scrap Trident demonstration 30 Nov 2014 month at 2:30pm outside the North Iraqi and of course 20 miles from Gate. 5. Violence begets violence – nothing Glasgow we have the ultimate else. Violence can never realise a weapon of violence in our Trident noble aim, can never create liberty nuclear armed submarines. or justice. The end does not justify the means, evil means corrupt good Total non-violence Website: ends. To this world of violence Jesus was www.catholicworker.org.uk

The world at best seems to try and born and with the incarnation we Email: [email protected] control violence by making treaties, were given a new commandment ‘I Twitter: @CatholicWorkerG by making laws and by institution- give you a new commandment, that alising violence as we do in the you love one another.’ Both by Faceook: www.facebook.com/ armed forces. Again we should be what He said and how He lived He glasgowcatholicworker clear what we are dealing with, as taught us the way of non-violence. It Leo Tolstoy said, ‘It should be un- is simple and profoundly radical. derstood that an army is an instru- (continued on page 3) 2 (continued from page 2) ‘That's why I've come to the conclu- executions and catastrophic climate Who are we to love? Jesus tells us sion that no one can claim to be an change, and participate in violence that we should put down our sword authentic Christian any more if they in any form. Anyone who supports and love our enemies doing good to support warfare and weapons. You warfare, weapons or killing, even if those that hate us. He tells us that to cannot seriously call yourself a fol- they be a priest, minister or bishop, return wrong for wrong, an eye for lower of the nonviolent, peacemak- goes against the nonviolent Jesus. an eye, is incompatible with the ing Jesus, whom we celebrate and To be a Christian is to be a practitio- Kingdom of God. We should resist honor at Christmas, if you own ner of creative nonviolence. To fol- evil but never with violence. Non- guns, support our wars, defend our low the peacemaking Jesus means violence is the fruits of love. I have nuclear weapons arsenal, tolerate becoming a peacemaker.’ come to realise that this non- violence starts with me as I am in 4 Minute Witness at Faslane— the way I treat my children, my Pictures spouse, the people I meet in shops and work extending to all my broth- ers and sisters everywhere at home and abroad. God loves the ISIS

Getting our picture taken November Getting ready November 2014 2014

Scotland has the third highest per capita prison population in Western Europe fighter in Iraq as much as he loves me. He loves the Palestinian as much as he loves the Israeli. To the Catholic Worker nonviolence is an absolute and many have over the years been jailed for peaceful Submarine coming into Faslane—October 2014 protest against violence despite at times being a lonely voice. Jesus said ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’, not those who think peace is a good idea as such but those who work for peace. As Catholic Workers we re- sist evil, but the self-emptying love which Jesus brings ‘by its very na- ture excludes the possibility of vio- lence, even when one is in the right (who after all was more right than Jesus?)’

I will leave the last word to Fr John Dear who brings the matter to its logical conclusion. Dutch troops outside Faslane—October 2014

3 for our Savoir. She was taught as a the laws of the land and even within My favourite very young child that one must feed the Church, Katharine dedicated her By Tamara Horsburgh and clothe the poor and her father life and her finances to trying to had a daily and active prayer life. alleviate the suffering of those on “We are free when we practice vol- Katharine was raised in a pious and the margins of American life. She untary poverty. We fly unimpeded to giving Catholic home, and the natu- was convinced that schools and uni- God”. Katharine Drexel ral course would have been for her versities needed to be built in both to marry well and continue the phi- the South and in the West. She re- “I am convinced our salvation de- lanthropy of her step-mother, while fused to be intimidated by the racial pends on the poor.” building on the family fortune. Yet, hatred she encountered when she God chose a very different path for opened schools, colleges and uni- I believe it was CS Lewis versities to serve who said “how glori- those of colour. She ously different are all the refused to let threats Saints.” I’ve been think- stop her when there ing about this statement was a need to be met lately as I’ve spent some in the south. She vis- time reading about Saint ited and helped in Francis De sales, the missions in the west Saint of Love. The per- ignoring the warnings sonalities and gifts of the of dyptheria and ma- men and women of God laria. By the end of her never fail to astound me life her vast fortune with both their diversity had been spent build- and their unity in love of God and St. Katharine Drexel with Native Americans ing schools, universities and mis- neighbour. her. sions, and invested to ensure that Saint Katharine Drexel and Dorothy the Order of the Blessed Sacrament Katharine had a calling within her. Day have both had a huge impact on for the Indian and Coloured could As a teenager she began to seriously my life – both lived holy lives dedi- continue beyond her death. She said consider giving her life to the Lord – cated to loving Jesus in the Eucha- of herself “I am and always have though she was uncertain what rist and loving Jesus in the “least of been, one of the happiest women I form that would take. She had a these my brethren”. Both are know.” When she died thousands of spiritual advisor with whom she American, female Saints, born in the people came out in stormy weather discussed her longing to join a reli- 1800s, who never let their gender to attend her wake, and one man gious order, and who initially dis- stop them from following the path lifted his son up to her coffin, saying suaded her though he eventually God chose for them. Yet, their paths “take a look at the Nun son – some- became convinced of her calling. were so diverse, and so distinct, day you can say you looked upon a Katharine visited Europe with her each brining to their lives a passion- Saint”. sisters and had an audience with ate and even fierce love of the Lord the Pope Leo XIII. She had taken to Dorothy Day took a very different through service to those most in heart the plight of Native Americans path to being our Lord’s servant. need. and African Americans and asked Born in an average, if somewhat Who was Katharine Drexel? Born an the Pope to send more missionaries eccentric American family, raised in heiress in the latter half of the to these people. The Pope then said New York, California, and Chicago, 1800s to a prominent words that changed her life: “My Dorothy had neither the wealth nor family, Katharine was raised in a child, why don’t you become a mis- the Catholic background of Catholic home, with a step mother sionary?” Katharine Drexel. Dorothy showed who taught her and her sisters an early interest in books and ideas, Katharine Drexel started her own about love of God and love of in independent living and excite- order, the “Sisters of the Blessed neighbour and a home that has ment. The streets of Chicago ex- Sacrament for Indian and Colored been called one of both “vast wealth posed to her the world of the poor People”. At a time when racism re- and profound holiness”. At an early and disadvantaged and at a young mained both personal in the hearts age Katharine exhibited a great love age she developed a social con- of Americans and institutional in

4 science. This lead her into the world ment, Dorothy at daily Mass atten- of anarchism and communism, as dance. Both embraced voluntary she tried to write about ideas of poverty – Katharine giving away her social justice, emancipation and fortune and Dorothy giving away equality. Dorothy campaigned with any money that came her way, and the suffragettes, becoming a voice living in the Houses of Hospitality for the rights of women. She em- among the poor. braced freedom, and sought after love, and sadly had an abortion, a Dorothy with Forster Batterham As I approach my 2 year anniver- traumatic event for the young Doro- sary as a Roman Catholic I get inspi- thy, and one she regretted her Catholic Worker movement. Doro- ration from both of these coura- whole life. Dorothy eventually fell in thy spent her life serving the poor, geous women. I pray to Katharine to love with Forster Batterham. She the hungry, the mentally ill, and keep me on the path to holiness, became pregnant with his child and those with addiction. She embraced and to help me love and respect the it is then that Dorothy’s life changed voluntary poverty. She called all rules of the Church. I pray to Doro- drastically. Catholics to embrace the words of thy to help me stay true to my val- Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount ues and principles even when they Thoughts of God, the love of the and she was pacifist who witnessed collide with those of the modern baby growing inside her, the beauty against war and weapons until the world. I pray to both to help me of the Church all began to call Doro- end of her days. Dorothy has been learn what sacrificial love is. And I thy as her pregnancy proceeded. As called a “servant of God” by the am grateful that God has chosen to she explained she was so joyous Pope, and I am convinced that she make his Saints diverse, and inter- and she “needed someone to thank will be declared a Saint by our esting and beautiful each in their – but nobody was there.” She spent Church. Many of us believe she is up own way! time studying the Catholic faith and in heaven with Peter Maurin pray- became convinced her child should ing for the continued work of the Dearest Forster, be baptized. Her lover and common Catholic Workers, and all people of law husband could not cope with peace throughout the world. ...I just got Tamar to bed. She has the her ongoing conversion and Doro- most angelic disposition. With all thy had to eventually choose- be- So, Katharine Drexel and Dorothy the dragging around she remains tween the Church and Forster. She Day? What did they have in com- cheerful, and only shows her fatigue chose the Church for herself and her mon? One lived a seemingly holy by becoming obstreperously lively. child, but remained friends with life from the day she was born, As for me, I’m as blue as indigo. I Forster throughout her life never starting a religious order, and using told you it was much harder for losing her affection for him. vast wealth to open schools, univer- those who went away than for those sities and support missions. One who stayed. I have felt nothing but a As a new Catholic and single mother lived a life of freedom and mistakes, blank loneliness since I left you. Life with a new baby daughter, Dorothy studying and writing and embracing is indeed a most miserable affair. prayed for a way to help the poor communist ideas. Yet, at the end of Why don’t you become reasonable or and the destitute while fully em- the day, what they had in common bracing her faith – communism was is the only thing that really matters- indulgent or whatever you want to no longer an option, and she felt a passionate love of their Lord call it and tell me to come back and lost. Enter Peter Maurin. This which was shown through how they marry you? We could be so happy French peasant with a heart for treated others and served the poor. together. And even if we fought it peace and love and charity con- would be better than this blank dead vinced Dorothy that it was their Both of these women encountered feeling. You know I love you and it calling to start a newspaper to ad- opposition – Dorothy for her paci- isn’t just loneliness which makes me vocate for the poor using Catholic fism, Katharine for her insistence long for you so.... principles of social justice. Along that people of colour are God’s chil- with the newspaper a soup kitchen dren too. Both had a deep love for All my love, was started and eventually Houses the Eucharist and believed that Je- Dorothy of Hospitality for the destitute and sus is present in the bread and farms for the growing of food and blood – Katherine naming her order (Letter from Dorothy Day to Forster living near nature - the birth of the the Sisters of the Blessed Sacra- Batterham.)

5 Reflections on the Catholic Full marks to Westminster Dio- cese..The Local Authority might well Peter Maurin's Easy Essays Worker By Bruce Kent have decided that this was not suitable residential accommodation (continued from page 1) Usurers Are Not Gentlemen and have said NO. But they didn’t. meal twice a month counts as deep Local residents might have made a involvement but I have always fuss about the number of somewhat The Prophets of Israel been a supporter. Not being much down at heel single men coming to the area. But no complaints came. and the Fathers of the Church There might have not been enough forbade lending money at interest. volunteers to keep the House going? Not at all. Lots of people, mostly young and not all Catholics, have Lending at interest come from many places to be part of our local Worker community. was called usury The church as a whole has a lot to by the Prophets of Israel learn from Catholic Worker ideals and the Fathers of the Church. and practice. I don’t know if Pope Cardinal and Archbishop of Canter- Francis has ever visited one of the bury Visit Giuseppe Conlon House Houses but, if he did ,he would cer- Usurers were not considered tainly feel right at home. of a cook I just chat with those who to be gentlemen come, while the more qualified of After all, his first visit out of Rome when people used to listen our parishioners prepare the meal. as Pope, was to the little island of It is always a moving and impres- Lampedusa to meet the refugees to the Prophets of Israel sive evening. Those who come are from Africa who had made the dan- and the Fathers of the Church. mostly ,in one way or another, refu- gerous journey often in dangerous gees from various parts of the boats across the sea to get there. His

world. From many parts of Africa, call is always for justice as well as When people used to listen from some of the ex-Soviet repub- charity. to the Prophets of Israel lics , even South America. Their sto- ries are all different but also much and the Fathers of the Church the same. Hand to mouth living. they could not see anything gentle Never sure when the Border Agency will catch up with them. Working at in trying to live below the minimum rate for some on the sweat of somebody else's exploitative employer who has brow them over a barrel. by lending money at interest. We see ,often enough on telly, the refugees at Calais trying to steal a lift on a lorry across the channel. They share the mistaken belief that in Britain all will be well. If only!! That we have a local CW house is itself a bit of a miracle. [Giuseppe Conlon House] The Diocese could well have sold the redundant church and presbytery but decided not to and handed over the prem- If we had a caption competition this would be it! Brian Quail at the Scrap Trident demon- ises to the Catholic Worker commu- stration on 30 November 2014. nity.

6 of politics merely as describing the and sent the rich away empty. No More Politics ordering of affairs in society. This Jesus himself had a revolu- Please would imply there is nothing im- tionary message for his hearers. His proper in politics itself, just that proclamation of the Kingdom of God By Martyn Sabell somehow the subject doesn't seem was a widely predicted fulfilment of appropriate for inclusion in a Catho- David's kingdom. What was differ- We at the Catholic Worker lic journal. ent about Jesus was the nature of have heard it suggested that the his politics. Not a warrior king, Je- content of our newspaper is unduly Here we run into a problem. sus, Lamb of God, inaugurated a political. Is there any truth in this Since the publication in 1891 of servant kingship, redeeming the charge? Pope Leo XIII’s ground-breaking world through his suffering as far as encyclical Rerum Novarum, on Capi- death. Well, of course, it depends tal and Labour, his successors have what we mean by 'political'. Those developed a wide-ranging body of bringing the accusation are imply- Catholic social teaching. This spans ing there is something undesirable the sanctity and dignity of life, fam- about political content in a Catholic ily, communal solidarity, peace and paper. Indeed there are negative reconciliation, dignity of work, aspects to politics, namely the exer- rights and responsibilities, social cise of social control in a coercive or justice and more. Where the Glas- manipulative way, dispensed by gow Catholic Worker has not yet men and women who are all too promoted these teachings, we The oppressed workers, above all, easily seduced by the trappings of promise to do so in future issues. ought to be liberated from the sav- agery of greedy men, who inordi- Still, those with nately use human beings as things misgivings may, deep for gain. down, find these issues Pope Leo XIII too radical, too unpalat- able, dramatically over- Our Lord was not afraid to reaching the personal challenge the establishment in the piety that Jesus promoted. land, the powerbrokers, upholders Such a view finds little of the status quo. These were the biblical support. The very men who conspired to have prophets of ancient Israel him executed as a political subver- power. Governments of every state had plenty to say about injustice sive, a threat to the state. ultimately depend on the threat of and God's displeasure with it. Only force, as their claim to rule relies on since the birth of the modern so- Ever since God vindicated his holding a monopoly of power called 'enlightenment' has it now Son by his resurrection, followers of against all challengers. become fashionable to divide off Jesus have been called to obedience politics from religious belief. to him. Anyone familiar with his Now this notion of politics is Sermon on the Mount will know the antithesis of what the Catholic Even before Jesus' birth, how challenging this is. Some would Worker stands for. We are rooted in Mary his mother was led to utter a avoid the challenge by giving gospel an ethics of non-violence, of notably political song of praise to teaching a private, otherworldly sevanthood rather than domination. God, recorded in Luke's gospel. status. Politics can then be hived off Our loyalty is to Christ, not to any to the 'real world' of career politi- political party. He has brought down the power- cians. We reject such an approach. ful from their thrones We claim that the political task of But perhaps our critics attach and lifted up the lowly. the Church is to model God's King- an alternative meaning to politics, He has filled the hungry with dom to a fallen world. one no less valid. Maybe they think good things

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Alessio Crippa

We pray for our good friend Alessio who helped us out over the last few months. Alessio is back in Italy pre- paring to be ordained to the Di- aconate. The ministry of the dea- con is described as one of service in three areas: the Word, the Lit- Pictures from our plot in Possilpark where we will be growing some vegetables urgy and Charity. to use in our soup for the Friday night soup kitchen. An arrow marks our Catholic Worker plot. (The barrels contain water by the way!) At one of our round table discus- sions we talked about how Jesus sent the Twelve out two by two to Premises preach that men should repent. If anyone knows of premises that might This we said should give great com- be available in the City Centre we would fort to Alessio as they didn’t yet be interested in hearing about them. We really understand Jesus’ message. need cooking facilities and a large room So don’t worry if you still feel over- or rooms. Please email us. whelmed Alessio!

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