In a Pastoral Letter to be read out at all Masses in Scotland this Sunday (7 January 2007) Bishop Peter Moran, the Bishop of Aberdeen, re-iterates the Catholic Church’s opposition to the renewal of Trident and calls on Catholics to “contact your MPs and make sure they know the views of the Church and your own views.”

Building upon Pope Benedict’s 2007 Message for Peace, Bishop Moran said that “real peace is much more than the absence of outward violence. Violence can still be there, as a threat, in people’s attitudes.” He continued: “For any real peace attitudes have to change. We need to begin building a culture of peace.”

Bishop Moran who is President of the Catholic Church's Justice & Peace Commission, was joined by the National Secretary of the Justice & Peace Commission, Dr Richard McCready who said that Bishop Moran “clearly highlights the need for everyone to work for peace, to examine our own behaviour and ensure that we promote peace in everything we do.”


ENDS

Note to Editors: The full text of Bishop Moran's letter is shown below. It
will be read at all Masses in Scotland's 500 Catholic Parishes over the
weekend of 6 & 7 January.

Simon Dames
Scottish Catholic Media Office
Bishops’ Conference of Scotland
5 St. Vincent Place
Glasgow G1 2DH
0141 221 1168
sd@scmo.org
mail@scmo.org
www.scmo.org

The full text of Bishop Moran’s address is shown below. 

To be read at all Masses Feast of the Epiphany 2007 Sunday 7th January

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ

In today’s Gospel the wise men come in peace and humility to bring gifts to the infant king. But in the background Herod, out of fear and jealousy, is plotting death for the innocent.

In today’s Christian churches we are singing of peace and goodwill in the name of that infant king. But in the background, many are plotting death for the innocent.

We are all aware of the suicide bombs, the revenge-driven attacks, the indiscriminate slaughter, the wholesale devastation. We can see violence breeding violence.

Yet people who would never consider such barbarous behaviour, people who long for peace just as we do, are still prepared to threaten death and devastation, out of fear. The world’s most powerful governments, including our own, seem determined to base our security on having nuclear weapons available. Not for actual use, it is said – just as a deterrent. Last year the Scottish bishops repeated their condemnation of these weapons – not only of using them, but even of holding them as a deterrent.

Many thousands of you, in the name of Justice and in the name of Peace, signed the petition against renewing Trident. On behalf of the bishops, I thank you. A vote will take place in March on whether our country renews Trident, please contact your MPs before then and make sure they know the views of the Church and your own views.

Real peace is much more than the absence of outward violence. Things may be quiet, but the violence can still be there, as a threat, in people’s attitudes. For any real peace, the attitudes have to change.

We need to begin building a culture of peace.

On the smaller scale, and very close to home, we need to challenge any pride and selfishness in our own lives. Whenever we start thinking in terms of “them and us”, peace is at risk. Our own attitudes have to change, from lofty ideals to the down-to-earth; from “Love thy neighbour” to “Love THIS neighbour”; from “respect for the human person” to “treat this individual as YOU feel entitled to be treated”.

On the larger scale too, we need to change attitudes, and challenge the culture which relies on fear and threats. We need to insist that the huge costs of that culture are used, instead, to promote human dignity. We need to insist that countries work together to relieve poverty, injustice and despair. These breed bitterness and hatred, and lead to war.

At local and at national level Catholic organisations are actively promoting justice and peace. Your prayers and your donations today support these aims.

Just before Holy Communion at this Mass, we will wish each other the Peace of Christ. Let’s make that wish mean more than mere words. Let’s live that message in our own lives. Let’s send that message out across our country. As we set out on this New Year, let us begin to build a culture of justice and peace, a fitting Epiphany gift for our Saviour.
Yours sincerely in Christ

+ Peter A. Moran,
Bishop of Aberdeen
Bishop-President, Justice and Peace Commission