What's New

Zolile Mpambani (CU) has sent a letter to the provinces, regions and territorial communities in preparation for the Formation Directors Meeting set for May of next year. It has been added to the Letters and Documents section in the following languages: English, French, Portuguese and Italian.

The English translation of the Justice & Peace Report Cameroon II has been posted. It can be accessed from the Province Justice & Peace Page.

The final versions of Fr. General's homily given at the opening Eucharistic Celebration of Major SCJ Superiors (03 - 11 -98 Homily - Homélie - Omelia ) has been posted It is available in English, French and Italian.

The final version of Fr. General's opening statement to the assembly of Major SCJ Superiors (Opening Address • Discours d'ouverture • Allocuzione iniziale) given on 3 November 1998 has also been posted. It is available in English, French and Italian.

A reminder too that Monday, November 30, 1998, has been proclaimed International Dehonian Day of Solidarity with the people of the Congo. A Eucharistic Adoration prayer service has been prepared by Jack Kurps (US) for use of members of the Dehonian Family. The proclamation of November 13, 1998 by the SCJ Major Superiors meeting in Rome can be accessed here: Special News From Rome Insert.

What's Happening

We're happy to finally have an Italian edition of our web site. Thanks to the efforts spearheaded by Giacomo Casolino, provincial superior of the South Italian Province, who offered the services of Francesco Mazzotta to head the Italian translation team. Others who have Italian as their mother tongue, can read English, and have access to the Internet are certainly welcome to assist him. If you would like to volunteer your services you can contact him via email at:

A committee has been appointed to prepare the next General Conference, which is to take place in Recife (BS) in May 2000. Fr. Carlos Alberto da Costa Silva, responsible for J&P in the General Administration, Fr. Peter Sanders (CA), Fr. Angelo Cavagna (IS) and Fr. Nestor Eckert (BM) have been named to this committee. They will meet in Rome from 21 to 23 December 98. The theme of the conference will be The Economy and the Reign of the Kingdom of God.

Justice & Peace Alerts

WHAT IS BEHIND THE PRESENT CONFLICT WITH IRAQ?

Iraq has been devastated by 8 years of economic sanctions: over 1 million of Iraqís population of 23 million are dead including 500,000 children under five. UNICEF and other independent groups document this ongoing slaughter. (See note below)

Although Paragraph 22 of UN Resolution 986 specifically gives the Security Council authority to reduce or lift sanctions based upon Iraqís cooperation in eliminating its weapons programs, the US and Britain have continually blocked such possibilities. They insist that Iraq must first meet a long list of other requirements, beyond giving up weapons. This includes the replacement of Saddam Hussein. For this reason, Iraq has become more and more reluctant to cooperate with weapons inspections.

In August Iraq blocked further inspections until the Security Council reviewed Iraqís disarmament efforts. On Oct. 6, chief weapons inspector Richard Butler reported to the Security Council that UNSCOM (UN Special Commission) was close to being satisfied about Iraqís chemical weapons but not biological. The International Atomic Energy

Commission has reported that it had largely completed the elimination of Iraqi nuclear capabilities.

Later in October, when the majority of the members of the Security Council tried to include Paragraph 22 in its guidelines for reviewing Iraqís compliance with disarmament, the US and Britain blocked their efforts. This provoked Iraq into further non-cooperation with inspections. The US and Britain followed with threats of massive military attacks which, the Pentagon estimated, would take at least 10,000 Iraqi lives.

Outside of the threat of such attack, there is little incentive for Iraq to cooperate with the inspections. And it seems that the Clinton Administration wants it that way.

Meanwhile, the real weapons of mass destruction - sanctions - continue their deadly work.

Note: For hard copies of the 100 page Situation Analysis of Women and Children in Iraq contact Jean Ando, UNICEF librarian, jando@unicef.org [$30]. It is also available on the UNICEF ftp server: ftp://www2.unicef.org/pub/iraqsa

Bob Bossie has been working on the situation in Iraq for over 8 years. He has been to Iraq four times. During three of these visits, he violated US sanctions laws by bringing medicines to hospitals there.

By Bob Bossie (US)

 

SILENT DEATH LOOMS AT YOUR DOOR, ARE YOU AWARE? DO YOU REALLY CARE TO STOP IT?

By Bishop Taban Paride of the Diocese of Torit, Southern Sudan

I have just returned from a visit to the Western part of Eastern Equitoria, Southern Sudan. I went via Northern Uganda on the 16th. October and returned on the 29th. My purpose was to visit and tend to the needs of our people in those areas.

A people harassed and distraught During this period, I witnessed two blitz style bombing raids carried out by the Khartoum Government. The animals provided us with an advance warning facility.. dogs hasten to the bunkers; a pet monkey joined them. Hens and chickens took off in hurried flight to the shade beneath the nearest bushes. Birds stopped singing. A sudden stillness gripped all. We quickly followed those dogs and a monkey to the bunkers. Animals and humans shared a paralyzing fear. "The Antonov is coming. The animals hear the sounds of death before we do," stated the village teacher.... [The remainder of the article is available in English only by accessing Silent Death.

By Bishop Taban Paride of the

Diocese of Torit, Southern Sudan

Please Remember

+Fr. Samuele Testa (IS)

born: 14 December 1919
first profession: 29 September 1937
ordination: 25 June 1944
died: 22 November 1998 at Savoniero, Italy

We were recently able to obtain a photo of Fr. Wilhelm Spãtgens (GE) who died on 13 October 1998. It has been added to the 1998 obituary calendar which can be accessed from the Necrology page.
 

+ Fr. Wilhelm Spätgens  GE born: 09 June 1913 first profession: 11 May 1934 ordination: 23 July 1939 died: 13 October 1998 at Neustadt, Germany