Integrating Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation into Initial and Ongoing Formation Programs

Willie Ollevier

1.Experiences
For almost 30 years I have been a missionary in the east, lived and worked in countries where Christians are a small minority. My own theological and formation took place in the sixties, and the Vatican spirit of Gaudium et Spes was very alive. When I reflect on my own formation for Justice and Peace, there are 2 conversion experiences that come to mind.

1.1. Taiwan

Ma Hsiaop Bing, a young immigrant from China to Taiwan had been given the death penalty due to kidnapping. Ma was a poor Chinese laborer who was pressured by his family to send money home to China. Unemployed and desperate as he was, he kidnapped the child of a rich Taiwanese family, and released the child unharmed after he got some money. Later Ma was caught.

Since the law in Taiwan says that any case of kidnapping should get the death penalty, Ma was sentenced to death. JPIC-Taiwan felt that indeed this man had committed a crime for which he should be punished, but certainly not death penalty. JPIC-Taiwan wanted to make an appeal for this young man, asking the president to spare his life. To build a broad coalition we did reach out to the Buddhist monasteries, and some monks decided to join us to petition the president. They joined us in the actual protest in March to the presidential palace. The protest made a great impact on the Taiwanese society. Never had they seen a Buddhist monk together with Catholics and Protestants!

Our petition was not a success. A few days later Ma was executed by firing squad. Yet the plight of Ma had touched the heart of many Taiwanese citizens. Both Buddhists and Christians were moved by compassion for Ma, and this action was the basis for more inter-religious cooperation for Justice and Peace.

Catholics for Peace and Justice

Catholics for Peace and Justice of southeastern WI is an organization based on Catholic social principles. We support the Church’s “consistent ethic of life,” which begins with an understanding of God as our creator and human life as God’s sacred gift. The dignity of all life must be respected from conception to natural death.

We are concerned about the state of our nation and world. We see a world threatened by war, terrorism, growing economic inequality, environmental catastrophe, and divisions between religions, nations, races, genders, and ethnic groups. We call on Catholics, and all people of faith, to consider whether their political and economic beliefs and actions are reflective of their faith.

catholicsforpeaceandjustice.org

13th Special Session of the Council of Human Rights on Haiti

( http://www.cgfmanet.org )

On January 27-28, 2010, in Room XX of the the Palais de Nations in Geneva, the Council of Human Rights, convened a

special session of the Council on the “Role of Human Rights in the Reconstruction of Haiti after the earthquake of

January 12th, 2010.”

The session was proposed by the distinct delegation of Brazil and strongly supported by the 32 Member States of the

Council and by the 9 observer states, among which was Haiti . In previous sessions the room was never this crowded. All

the Member states and observers , representatives of numerous international organizations, members of civil society and

the press participated with emotion at the opening of the 12th Special Session.

continue reading…click…..haiti

Searching God in the Rubble of Haiti

Sr. Hazeline, OSM of the Servite Sisters of London gives us an account of her experience in  Haiti (please click).

For more information about the Servite Sisters of London, please visit their site

www.servitesistersinternational.org