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Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World: Gaudium Et Spes

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Popular/media opinion is that the Catholic Church is archaic, irrational and irrelevant.

But the talking heads---both right and left jabberers---just don't know very much about what they are talking about. There is a dearth of knowledge about the Catholic Church among media writers, movie makers, politicians and lobby group leaders.

THIS title is a penetrating analysis of our modern condition. On this planet, we live in an increasingly global community. What are the conditions that led us here? How should we now act toward each other?

We live in an era of great scientific discovery, but lack the means to truly fit this to our lives. There is an elusive dream of doing away with God, and simply counting molecules and electrical forces.

The Catholic Church is more relevant than ever, and you should read this little book to learn why. This encyclical is widely available. The value of the Paulist edition is its relatively high quality print production combined with a very affordable/accessible price. They do a good job with it.

Gaudium et spes gives the specific admonition:
"Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and humanity, which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation."

Thus must we Catholics condemn absolutely our war against Iraq which goes back though the long war of attrition to papa Bush in 1990, which has caused over a million Iraqi deaths, women and children in their bloodied beds, and carpet bombing wiping out the ancient city of Fallujah, etc. all for profiteering privateering petroleum piracy.

Further Gaudium et spes states unequivocally:
"If civil authorities legislate or allow anything that is contrary to the will of God, neither the law made nor the authorization granted can be binding on the conscience of the citizens since God has more right to be obeyed than man."

God commands: Thou shalt not kill.

We cannot kill a million Iraqi citizens, women and children in their beds, for the sake of privateering petroleum piracy. We cannot be involved in this genocide in any way shape or form. We in fact are obligated to work and speak strongly against it. Pope John PAul II was first in condemning the aggressive invasion of Iraq.

See also PACEM IN TERRIS in this Christmas season, and The Challenge of Peace. For our advent reading let us read the Reverend Father John Dear's MARY OF NAZARETH: PROPHET OF PEACE

Remember ever our faith. Read Merton's prophetic Peace in a Post-CHristian Era