Dear Catholic Exchange,
I am a recent graduate of Belmont Abbey College, and currently a resident of Charleston, SC. I am writing to thank Catholic Exchange for posting the article "‘Investing in Peace' with Cluster Bombs" by Fr. Richard Vandewater.
It is far too seldom that Americans, especially Catholics, hear about the suffering of their brothers in the Faith in the Holy Land. The vast majority of churchmen, politicians and news media outlets openly endorse what amounts to a blind support for the State of Israel at any cost. This in turn results in the unfounded notion that somehow the unlimited financial support of this political entity is a moral obligation that binds all Christians.
I hope that Fr. Vandewater's article is the beginning of a shift of allegiance from the State of Israel to the Christians suffering at the hands of Israel and Arab countries alike. This is an important message for American Catholics, and all Americans for that matter.
I thank Catholic Exchange again for posting the article, and let us continue to pray for peace in the Holy Land, the true peace which comes from Christ alone.
In Christ,
Renaurd West
Dear Mr. West,
Thank you for writing. We are increasingly concerned about the suffering of our Christian brothers and sisters in the Holy Land and are looking for strong material such as that submitted by Fr. Vandewater to increase awareness of the issue.
CE does not have a position regarding the political aspects of the US relationship with Israel or other countries in the Middle East. We are however, actively seeking to make available to our readers a spectrum of views on the subject and we are glad that our readers are responding favorably to the presentation of varied perspectives.
We appreciate your feedback and support and we add our voices to yours in calling on all Catholics to be mindful of and to pray for our suffering brethren in that troubled area of the world.
God bless you,
The Editors of Catholic Exchange
