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My Dear Monsignor;

The words that still produce in me shivering chills, with which you ended your homily at the cathedral “asking, demanding: End the repression!”.  These words  marked history , yet, as then, they are still actual . Today, we fix our eyes on 23 million Iraquis, that have suffered internal oppressions, war and yet still, anguish, fears, that still now surely you would shout:  “stop the bombing!, stop the war!, end the hypocrisy!,  stop the lies!”. 

But you what? They paid no attention to you then, nor will they pay attention to you now, but your words were not in vain.  As a last resort , you bequeath to us the forceful power to invoke God and the suffering people, but that does not acknowledges nor admits an appeal.  In the world in which we live, there is no point of reference as a last resort to appeal. Neither the United Nations, nor a United Europe, have the capacity, nor the good will to obtain real peace, especially if it becomes an obstacle to their own personal interests.  Some countries opposed the war as “a great evil”, yet their interests was not in peace, but  their own interests :  the weakening power of their institutions, or the retrogration to the construction of the Great Europe. That which could have been the last point of reference, turns out to be an egotistical point of self interests.  The suffering of Iraq, like that of Afganistan, not to say the silent tormented martyrdom of Africa, where even the exploitation of its waters it has had to endure, it still remains a semblance in a horizon, without a face.  Something similar occurs when one appeals to democracy,  to liberty, to international laws.

What becomes the ultimate real end, is not the security or well being of others, but an assured self interest of security, of  the well being and good living of the countries of abundance and not the interest of the sufferings of victim countries; oil, hegemony and a police state, the egotistical self interest in the distribution of world goods and not a real interest in those of the human family. 

In the midst of all this turmoil, it’s good to remember that the ultimate recourse for appeal, is God. Not just any god, but that God of which you spoke: “ the glory of God, is in that the poor might live”! 

The appeal that recently Pope John Paul II made” whoever unchains the evils of war, must answer and render account to God”.  Before such a God, when so much is discussed as to who is in favor of the peace and who is not, it’s good to remember these other words of your: “whoever closes the doors to peace is an idolater of richness”, these are those who have money as their only god.

Monsignor, with full credibility you speak of God without using His name in vain. But for those that appeal “in the name of God” it’s not enough for we rightfully remember your continued words ”and in the name of those suffering people whose cry, lamentations, day after day become more tumultuous, reach the heavens before God”.

In our days, it has become an absolute necessity to plea, invoke, to centralize all our efforts in meeting the needs of millions of suffering humans, a suffering that not even in war time occurs.

The manner in which CNN and other news media covered the first day of the Iraqui war was an insult to the victims. The mentioning of the number of soldiers, how many arms, the power of the “allied forces” with their portentous advancements with their high technological equipment, but no coverage of the suffering of men, women, children.  They did it with such professionalism that it could have been any soccer game, without hiding whose side you are on or preference.  

Wasn’t it Jesus of Nazareth who spoke in this manner in the parabol of the rich Epulon and the poor (Lazareth) or of the Good Samaritan who attended to the needs to a fallen victim.

I question myself, have we really advance in human freedom of expression, even with all their back room lies, but yet not speaking in truth or of compassion.  These are from a different (sap).

A week ago,14^th of March, a group of Iraqui Dominican Sisters made an appeal to Bush and the American people to cease the cruelty to their people.  Their statement was not made or done in political language nor that of the new media, but they simply stated:

            “President Bush, you highly defend the rights of animals. Is it that we are of less value or

             worth than the animals.  Why is it that the american people have a right to live in peace

             and prosperity. Is it that your lifes are worth more and more valuable than the life of other

             people?  For example, the life of the Iraqui people? We, as a people, have not

             overcome the trauma of the past gulf-war and now another one?

Or like the testimony of the Salesian Religious Sister that remained at East Timor, in 1999, when ambassadors, members of the U.N. all abandon Indonesia during the invasion, yet they remained. These are those that “speak in the name of the suffering people”.  Congressmen, Joe Moakley

was right in his thinking.  When he wanted to find out the situation of a country, he would not contact the State Department, but call upon one of the religious communities of the place.

Oh yes, one last thing monsignor, you never lowered yourself to their level and condemn injustices, or the barbaric acts, but all the contrary, you always encouraged us to continue to struggle and strive to construct, work in the defense of the poor.  In your last homily, a little before they assassinated you, humbly stated  ” We can all do something”. 

In these days, with much self giving love,  there has been a great deal of work.  But they don’t seem to recall the massive demonstrations against the war all over the world;  the in-depth studies on international rights, the military and economic analysis, the involvement of political religious, all prior to the crisis.... No, they don’t remember that now the ecumenical union among the major christian churches and of other religions.  Imagine, for the first time in history, practically all the churches in the USA together with their respective hierarchy unanimously condemned the war.

Due to ethical reasons and to comply with international legalities, Pope John Paul II and the World Council of Churches, condemned a preventive war, above all on a country that in the last 20 years

suffered and was hit by a war.  The main issue is here is  :love, compassion and the defense of the victims.  They have centralized their thoughts on the main issue: suffering and compassion.  Yet those that make decisions on the destiny of nations and countries, have abandon Iraq, because it might put in danger their lifes and fortunes.  Yet others have gone to Bagdad to defend the poor from the barbaric acts of war, with their own lifes.  These are the people of compassion. 

Up till now, no one has had more compassion than you martyrs. True that some in our country continue to ignore and bury the facts, these are the those impenitent people.  The type that murdered you, Monsignor, and those align to them, that have not as yet, asked for forgiveness, nor lowered humbly their heads asking for pardon from the Salvadorian people.  All the contrary, the continue speaking, make appearances and acting as if nothing ever happened.  “Mysterium Iniquitatis”.  But it’s you the martyrs that will continue to live as “the compassionate ones”, until the end of time.  It’s you that best centralize our lives in Jesus of Nazareth.

During these days I have been rereading Ernesto Sabato, the latinamerican patriarch on Liberation and Human Rights.  I think you’ll like to hear what they say about us humans in our moment of history : “only those who have the capacity to incarnate the utopia are apt for the decisive struggle and to recuperate what humanity has lost”.

Well, I guess this is all I wanted to tell you Monsignor.  You martyrs have to continue to intercede for us “in the name of God and in the name of the suffering poor”.  To recuperate the values that humanity has lost, compassion and justice.  Then and only then, will we be able to walk towards peace and allow a human world to flourish.  Hopefully next year we will be able to write to you, telling you how that new world is functioning in our midst.

Sincerely yours