Archd of PDX David Carrier/John Kerry Timed perfectly

Dear Friends, With many Oregon Catholic men and women in the armed forces sacrificing themselves in Iraq and the families who are praying for their safety, it would have been kind and prudent for something like this to NOT be sent. This happened at the same time as John Kerry's statement on our troops during war time. Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) is closely linked to homosexual, anti-war and pro-abortion groups. www.emoregon.org We know that we cannot get away from the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and their liberal agenda...we have been bound for thirty years. Their "ecumenical" member churches include the International Metropolitan Community Church, pure homosexual. Mary Jo Tully , Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Portland is on their Board of Directors and said to me that they need help with the AIDS Daycare program, that's a reason we still stay. When I first met David Carrier, our new Justice and Peace director, not knowing what VOCAL was, he invited me to invest in some building projects...(this could be the new ones we see in the PDX areas). During one of our conversations, I even went so far as to tell him what Oregon really needed was a Pro-LIfe Director. but Providence Hospital offered a grant. As we talked about the war, I asked him "If Oregon was being invaded, would you defend us?" His answer was "no". Now this is fine...I once was a Quaker...however, as a Catholic I know that we have "prudential judgment" as to the war, but NOT, abortion or homosexual marriage/promotion. Therefore, the emphasis should be on Pro-life activties and family unity, not the environment or the war. We follow the Holy Father and the Magisterium of the Church. It would have been nice for the Justice and Peace Ministry to support something tangible that we all could benefit from - Yes on Measure 43 as Archbishop Vlazny has requested. From: Carrier, David [mailto:dcarrier@archdpdx.org] Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 12:17 PM To: justiceandpeace@archdpdx.org Subject: Please act to support peace in Iraq <> Dear concerned Catholic; I am sure that you are as disturbed as I am about the violence in Iraq. The magnitude of the tragedy was really brought home for me with the news last week that the first scientific analysis of likely casualties in Iraq estimated the death toll to be upwards of 650,000 people (90% of sample respondents had death certificates for the victims). This issue is not about politics. It cannot be dismissed that easily. As followers of Christ we are obligated to support life, create peace, and care for our brothers and sisters who are victims of the violence. We must do all we can to bring about a transition to peace so Iraqis can resume normal lives as soon as possible. If you were an Iraqi citizen, what would you ask us to do? What would Jesus want you to do? Over the summer, a group of faith leaders and I met with Senator Ron Wyden to express our concern about the violence in Iraq and the need to develop a concrete strategy for a transition to peace. Senator Wyden suggested that the most effective way for the faith community to bring about a change in U.S. policy is to convey to our Congressional delegation our own thoughts on what that transition should look like. With that in mind, we have written the attached letter in conjunction with Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, outlining a plan for a responsible transition to peace in Iraq. The letter has been signed by Archbishop Vlazny, the bishops or executives of several other Oregon faith communities, and over 80 churches throughout Oregon. I urge you to please ask your pastor or other religious leader to sign on to the letter. All you need to do is have them email or call me and let me know that they wish to be a signatory. Please ask them to include their full name and title, and community affiliation. In some parishes, the Pastoral Council or Social Ministry groups are also making the letter available to parishioners to sign after weekend masses. In this case, provide a separate sign-up sheet that refers to the EMO letter, and provide space for a signature, printed name, and full address. That way you will receive a follow-up letter from the Senators. Please note on the last two pages of the attached letter that we have not heard from a lot of pastors that would probably be in agreement. If your own parish is not listed, please talk to your pastor this weekend. We will be delivering the letter to members of Congress immediately after the fall elections. There will be a press conference and visits to the offices of our Senators and Representatives soon after that. So please notify me of your pastor's response, and return the letter with parishioners' signatures to me at the Office of Justice and Peace, by Sunday November 5. I would appreciate any help you can offer to circulate this letter to the appropriate people in your parish or community. With the collective signatures of people from all faith traditions we will send a strong message that our religious convictions compel us to speak out against the continued violence. We must not remain silent as this continuing conflict claims hundreds more lives each day. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration. In the peace of Christ, David Carrier David Carrier Office of Justice and Peace Campaign for Human Development Archdiocese of Portland 2838 E. Burnside St. Portland, OR 97214 503-233-8361 www.archdpdx.org/justice_and_peace * One life * One world * One human family We are one Body in Christ. God Bless you and yours, Carolyn VOCAL We believe that the foundation for a Culture of Life starts with the beginning of life: at conception, when God breathes life into His people. To circumvent this puts man in our Creator's role and can only fail causing a domino effect that leads to a Culture of Death. Poverty, war, racism, hatred, and violence all leads from this event: when man thinks he knows best. Voice of Catholics Advocating Life PO BOX 458 Sublimity, OR 97385 503-767-3333