Dear Pope John-Paul II,

[Chicago Democrat]

Dear Pope John-Paul II,



I hope you are feeling better. I have watched you over these years with great admiration and wanted to write to you even though I know you are ill and so busy. I never wrote to a Pope, I am just a simple American whose has never done anything either great or awful.

First of all, I wanted you to know that I only live because of the Catholic Church. This is literally true, as I will attempt to explain. My mother, Sheila, is a devoted Catholic. She became pregnant with me in 1961, when she was only 17, by a Baptist boy from a prominent family. There was talk of marriage but she refused to convert. Sheila was not going to become a Baptist! So then, my father’s family tried to pressure her to have an abortion! My father and his aunt physically brought Sheila in 1961 to a lady that did abortions illegally in those days. The aunt told her “Its just like having your tonsils out.” Horrified, Sheila refused. Thus, I live.

Sheila, instead, went to a special home for pregnant girls run by Catholic Charities which arranged to place me in an adopted home. Sheila gave me up after only holding me for an hour. A middle class couple who couldn’t have children on their own adopted me and they pledged to raise me Catholic. Many years later I met Sheila and she told me this story. You can imagine how I feel about nearly not-being.

Regarding abortion being illegal, it is obvious to me that its illegality in 1961 had very little to do with its availability to those who are determined. It was Sheila choice. It was Sheila’s faith guided by the Church that saved my life. So please continue to encourage women to give unwanted children up for adoption. Teach women that having an abortion is a sin, sin that can be forgiven by God and is certainly not the equivalent of murder. But I think trying to force women to have children by making abortion illegal is the height of arrogance and only drives the practice underground. I am living proof that giving women ethical guidance and choice is the only way to really preserve potential lives, like mine.

The second issue I wanted to write to you about the Catholic Church’s direct involvement in US politics in 2004. I was dismayed last election that US bishops used the abortion issue to throw the election to George W. Bush last year. Even talking about banning the Catholic candidate for communion and not a peep of objection from the Papacy? Isn’t the Iraq war a more grievous sin than all the abortions in the United States? Did you know that the Catholics in the US voted for the first time in the majority to George W. Bush? Why is the church getting involved in US politics for the first time in US history anyway?! This is plainly wrong. Now Bush may start more unjust wars on false pretexts and why has the papacy been silent about the past one? Why don’t you declare the Iraq war to be unjust and participation or support of it to be a mortal sin? That would end the war in months because your words are so respected.

It was wonderful that you condemned the Iraq War two years ago. I was hoping for more follow up. Why hasn’t the whole Church become more involved in promoting peace? How come your Bishops in America have been completely silent on this issue? How come the American church has not organized protests and political pressures on the Iraq War issue. In fact its been the opposite with all the Catholic political pressure being pro-Bush with the arbortion issue. Are Iraqis babies less important than US babies? We all know the United States has faked intelligence, engaged in torture, and completely lied about every aspect of the wars in the Middle East. I am begging you, I implore you as a son does to a father. I am on my knees and ask you to pursue policies that will marshal the faithful to pressure this rogue regime I find myself living under to follow international law from now on! Please ask your bishops to obey you and persuade their congregations to pressure the US government to reverse its pro-war, neo fascist, amoral, illegal wars of conquest and its deadly occupations of Iraq and all future operations.




Very truly yours,

[ronnykmarshall]

1. Bravo!

:yourock:

[Sinistrous]

2. Rara Avis:

A true Christian. I salute you.

[Bellamia]

3. How come

indeed! I second the Bravo post. Tho not a Catholic, I too am befuddled by the lack of interest and direction from religious groups opposed to war.

[stellanoir]

4. The image that lingers

in my mind is that of Cheney (Mr. Robo heart and war profiteer extrordinaire) presenting the ailing Pope with a white dove.

How lame was that?

[toymachines]

5. very well written

i wish he would address these issues. he has so much power to change things.