From the editor's desk

Catholic New Times, Dec 5, 2004

We are happy to print Jim Wallis's warning about war theology creeping into American ecclesial life. I have been stunned beyond belief about the absolutely shocking news coming from Iraq and the findings of the The Lancet, the British medical journal. At the end of October, it announced that probably the number is half that it should be incomprehensible to Christians. There should be fasting and sackcloth and ashes in every Catholic parish in America over this outrageous profanation of the gospel. Instead it is business as usual (page 4).

It is never business as usual for John Dear. The affable Jesuit is deadly serious about peace and preaching the non-violent Jesus in America Today. See our Witness Piece on page 3.

On the same theme of war and peace, transplanted American Scott Kline, an assistant professor of religion at St. Jerome's University, writes on the persistence of religion in American life. In the same centerspread we have a potpourri of voices from Milwaukee's Call to Action conference, which I attended from Nov. 6-9.

Jim Profit, SJ, Heather Eaton and James Miller remind us of the necessary and growing understanding of the spiritual nature of the land and of farming (page 6).

The indefatigable gospel hound for justice, Tom Gumbleton, has returned from Haiti with a disturbing portrait of human-rights abuses (page 8). Interesting that Fr. Jean Juste (page 13) excoriates Canada in our failure to defend the duly elected Aristide.

This issue takes us into the liturgical season of Advent, just about the only sane break we get from the consumerist orgy we used to know as Christmas. Theologian Sylvia Keesmaat eases us into the season with an imaginative attempt at understanding incarnation. Have you ever met St. Joseph's dad Heli (page 15)?

Fr. Barry McGrory joined the Pax Christ election monitors in Florida. Part of Barry's diary appears on page 16.