PEACE REFLECTIONS AND PRAYERS

A PRAYER FOR PEACE BY POPE LEO XIII

O Lord, you see how everywhere the winds have burst forth,
and the sea is convulsed with the great violence of the rising waves.
command, we beseech you who alone are able,
both the winds and the sea.
Restore to humankind the true peace of your name,
that peace which the world cannot give, and the calm of social harmony.

Under your favor and inspiration may human beings return to
due order, and having overthrown the rule of greed,
bring back again as ought to be, the love of God,
justice, charity toward neighbor,
temperance in all desires. May your kingdom come.

May all recognize that they are subject to you,
and must serve you who are truth and salvation;
that without you they labor in vain.
In your law is reason and parental kindness.
You are ever at hand with your strength and your copious power
to help humanity to keep it.
Life upon earth is a warfare,
but you watch the contest and aim
humanity to conquer.
The weak you sustain; the victor you crown.

LCWR LEADERSHIP RESPONDS TO PRESIDENT'S AFGHANISTAN ANNOUNCEMENT

The presidency of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious expressed disappointment with President Obama's much anticipated announcement about the numbers of U.S. troops that would be withdrawn from Afghanistan. While commending the President for keeping his word to begin to bring troops home in July, despite pressures to delay withdrawal, the leadership of LCWR believes that the wirthdrawal numbers of 10,000 this year and 23,000 next year are too few, and that a 2014 ending date for the war is too long a time-line. With Pax Christi USA and many religious leaders and peace organizations, LCWR presidency believes it is time to bring the war in Afghanistan to an end.

Despite an increase in U.S. troops under the Obama Administration, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated: violence has increased, the insurgency is more widespread, the war has resulted in the deaths of over 2,500 Coalition troops, including over 1,500 from the United States, and an estimated 20,000 Afghan civilians. In addition, over 11,000 returning U.S. troops have suffered severe physical and/or mental wounds, there is a high rate of suicide and many are unemployed. Ours is a war weary country. Recent polls in the U.S. indicate that the majority of Americans want the war to end. It has become too costly in human life and financially.

We urge President Obama to bring this war to an end by accelerating the numbers of troop withdrawals and providing a clear exit strategy with benchmarks to be achieved well before 2014. Once again, reliance on military solutions has failed. We pray that some day soon we wll learn the moral wisdom of Isaiah's vision of "beating our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks."