concerning his defense of the moral relativism of the U.S. Catholic Bishops regarding the unjust war on the people of Iraq.

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who change darkness into light, and light into darkness, who change bitter into sweet, and sweet into bitter!

Your Excellency:

I read your interview with John Allen in the National Catholic Reporter. In response to his question about criticism of the United States Catholic Bishops' actions regarding the Iraq War, you said:

"The American bishops took a very clear position. They were not in favor of the war, but once it happened, they supported a 'responsible transition' out of Iraq. . . They articulated that position very clearly. It's not the bishops who declared the war, and it's not the bishops who can conclude the war. They've done what it is the mission of the bishops to do."

I must respectfully disagree with this analysis of the record of the United States Catholic Bishops on the Iraq War. Because I am a plain spoken man in such matters, it may be that my disagreement may be perceived as disrespectful. If so, then I must disrespectfully disagree with your analysis.

Each of the four major statements on Iraq by either the full Bishops' Conference or its president, preached a doctrine of moral relativism. "People of good will may and do disagree on how to interpret just war teaching and how to apply just war norms to the controverted facts of this case." This sentence, from the March 19, 2003 statement of the Most Reverend Wilton Gregory, then president of the USCCB, is found in one form or another in each of their major statements on Iraq.

This sentence is a pernicious declaration of moral relativism.

The Iraq War has an objective moral reality that is not dependent upon our perception of it.

The Iraq War is either a just war - or it is an unjust war. It is not "both-and", it is "either-or".

Those who claim that the war on the people of Iraq is just were and are to this day wrong.

Their counsel is to commit mortal sin by waging unjust war.

The former Archbishop for Military Services, now the Archbishop of Baltimore, His Excellency Edwin Frederick O'Brien, advised the Catholic members of the Armed Forces of the United States to commit mortal sin by willing participation in an unjust war. The fact that he may have thought that this war was just is no more material to this analysis than the belief by many that their choice for abortion is not sin. The justice or injustice of the Iraq War is an objective moral fact independent of our perception or observation of the facts and history. Just like many people who choose abortion, Archbishop O'Brien made what he thought was his best choice at the time, and as with abortion, that choice was and remains to this day a gravely evil tragedy. http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/peace/obrien.shtml The bishops are apparently proud enough of his decision that they publish it to the four corners of the earth at their website.

The Catechism clearly and without any ambiguity whatsoever teaches that we can gain responsibility for the sins of others:

www.justpeace.org/sambi.htm