Second thoughts on Libya
Carlin, David R. Jr.
strutted and more leisured than ever be- thoritarian clergy and a deferential laity fore, and more aware of the mission...
...What about Syria, whom we individual or face-to-face basis (as, for against state-sponsored terrorism...
...How did they small powers are not entitled to do...
...the answer is: That way lies madness...
...Few of tasks of parish governance...
...We've said there are dafi...
...2) In international with devoted lay groups and movements, i.e., the president ordered American affairs the golden rule applies: no nation, thereby effectively eliminating them or planes to bomb several targets in Libya, not even a very large and powerful one, leaving them...
...Any discus- including Qaddafi's residence...
...But my initial inclination failed to happen to have for sale...
...It's tions could be resumed...
...but its friendship with the Soviet Union...
...into an essentially unfree one...
...And even if When I first put all the above consid- would be obliged to be terribly indignant topdogs have a noblesse oblige duty of erations together, I found myself inclined at such an accusation and to insist on an forbearance in the face of provocation, to join the general American celebration American apology before normal relasuch forbearance ought to have its limits...
...American relationships...
...In the forth- fairs...
...Worse still, I fear it may have taught him the wrong lesson...
...What different and far worse than killing evil pales in comparison with the state- about Iran, whom we can't attack be- anonymous persons with bombs from an sponsored variety...
...And how could it not...
...The laity are, in fact, per- gregational model in which there was an cate between the majorities of both forming a variety of ministries and serv- emphasis on a democratic exercise of au- clergy and laity...
...Pri- don't feel free to attack because of its instance, at My Lai) is somehow much vate terrorism is a dreadful thing...
...She of Future Church Leadership conducted reminds us that at the same time that by Catholic University sociologist Dean ministries began to be open to the laity, R. Hoge finds a majority of lay adults there was a sudden multiplication of the c lergy and laity alike, have long taken a urging the encouragement and preparaservices and ministries undertaken by highly centralized and authoritarian form tion of lay persons to take over many and offered by parishes...
...maybe you'd be interested in this bridge I small...
...tempted the great crime of murdering the tions...
...has the right to do to another nation, not sion of the role of the laity in the church If I remember correctly, in my even a small and weak one, what it must confirm the laity's right to the role younger and more sentimental days I wouldn't want the other nation to do to it...
...mean to assassinate Qaddafi, why were sometimes allowed to do things that First, was it our intention to teach the they bombing his house...
...Let me explain...
...strutted and more leisured than ever be- thoritarian clergy and a deferential laity fore, and more aware of the mission of had become the normative model in the the church than they had ever been, were Awilik, United States...
...And if it is asked, "What's wrong with assassination in a case like this...
...But if you're ready to Nor can the golden rule be admitted in with...
...No, not necessarily...
...ministries in which so many have joyfully engaged and found fulfillment exist only at the whim of the local pastor or bishop...
...ican lion's tail once too often...
...But all nations lire not...
...public terrorism un- the Soviets of trying to kill the pope poison, or explosives dropped from leashes the nightmarish "mere anarchy" would put a great strain on Soviet- airplanes that fly in the long way from that Yeats warned us of...
...There are, quite sim- extending from the formation of parishes by parish priests could be reassigned to ply, many more tasks for volunteers to to the management of church finances deacons or lay persons...
...recently published The American Catho- to the possibility of confining themselves These developments might seem to be, lic Experience (Doubleday, $19.95, 504 to sacramental and liturgical duties...
...Between private ter- cause of its physical proximity to the airplane (as, for instance, at Hiroshima...
...government im- an accident of war...
...The Soviets Great Britain...
...If they didn't they are legitimate, great powers are fizzled out...
...Ronald "Rambo" Reagan took dog ought to be sporting enough to overon taking over a diocese, have been Col...
...rorism and state-sponsored terrorism USSR and because it is governed by According to this popular theory, killing there exists the difference that holds be- some honest-to-goodness mad dogs, and Qaddafi with a knife or a pistol or ' a tween private crimes of violence and the God knows where they'll start biting if poisoned prayer rug (the North African same crimes committed by public au- once provoked...
...When, a few years ago, a plausible be assassination, but killing him as part patible with a free society...
...is intolerable when sponsored by weak There is a popular theory of homicide The Reagan attack on Libya was di- and relatively friendless nations like which holds that killing persons on an rected not against terrorism in general but Libya...
...DAVID R. CARLIN, JR...
...Private crimes of violence, And what about the Soviet Union it- once planned to deliver to Fidel) would while extremely unfortunate, are com- self...
...But that is a subject for coming consultations there will be a adds, "The Irish tradition of an au- another column...
...I realize the administration, in Washit with planes and bombs...
...By the end of the century, he the world...
...Since Vatican II there has been a deA third factor - and one we tend to parture from that normative model in the overlook - has been pointed out by Sis- I 'fill I thought and personal practices of the ter Joan Bland, SND, who founded and laity, if not in church structures themdirects the courses for adults known as ,11111, r selves...
...To accuse tion, whether done with knife, gun, dangerous place...
...after all, known to sever diocesan connections in the alley and gave him a bloody nose...
...Their "main might be called the social ministries - us are aware that, in the early nineteenth message," according to the report, is that long the very stuff of Protestant church century in this country, laymen partici- apart from marriages, baptisms, and the life - have become part of Catholic pated in church government in matters Mass, most of the work now being done church life as well...
...Jef- world that state-sponsored terrorism is happen to kill his adopted daughter and ferson may have been right that all men intolerable...
...he drew gauntlet down...
...In his ground-breaking, the majority of priests surveyed objected opened to the world...
...We Catholics in the United States, attack on Libya: (1) In international al- Underdogs, I've discovered, are often Commonweal: 330 enough very nasty people...
...Since Col...
...Many of what of church governance for granted...
...Lay missioners, in another new SECOND THOUGHTS ON LIBYA form of ministry not mentioned above, THE 'MAD-DOG' DISEASE IS CATCHING also serve at the pleasure of religious orders or missionary bishops and priests...
...in themselves, an answer to the first part pp...
...ABIGAIL MCCARTHY temptation to concentrate on the theory of lay spirituality and mission and, perhaps, to ignore one hard fact: the lay Of several minds: David R. Carlin, Jr...
...New pastors have been known to wipe out existing parish councils, dis- I T IS Now nearly two months since my tercations the presumption of rightness miss eucharistic ministers, and close president (the only president we belongs with the underdog...
...floundering...
...But we've thrown the involved an attempt to assassinate Qadident Reagan drew him a picture...
...And American The great and settled nations of the world not that I, any more than the average public opinion would be little inclined to have another duty as well, namely, to cheering American, expected the attack let our government deal with an enemy give lessons in proper international con- to function as an effective cease-and- government which had not only atduct to the young and rambunctious na- desist order to the terrorists of the world...
...happy to fill what gaps they could...
...The survey also reices - these must then, in part, indicate thority, and a hierarchical model, which vealed an even larger gap between clergy what the role of the laity is, must they meant clerical supremacy in church af- and lay opinion on the role of the laity in not...
...Assassination is assassinaprivate terrorism makes the world a theory...
...The recent survey entitled Study EPS, Education for Parish Service...
...and even if thriving schools - all without consulta- have, as somebody once reminded the underdog isn't always right, the toption with the laity affected...
...equivalent of the poisoned cigars the CIA thorities...
...We've made it clear we are not to accept that denial at face value, then relations between great powers and be mistaken for pussycats or paper tigers...
...At least for the foresee- pope but had compounded it by lying feline metaphor, Libya twisted the Amer- able future, the American bombing of about it in the most bare-faced manner...
...Muammar "Mad Dog" Qaddafi out look a multitude of annoyances...
...boys will be boys...
...that greeted the bombing of Libya...
...I fear our bombing of Libya taught a lesson to no one but Qaddafi...
...6 June 1986: 331...
...Or how about and in pursuit of those interests, provided hold...
...Ordinaries, us), Mr...
...Or are we only saying that it send two of his sons to the hospital...
...Similarly, mediately and emphatically rejected the Nonsense...
...Not surprisingly, undertake in the church as the church has and personnel...
...violence in the case was developed linking the KGB of a scheme to blow his whole neighborname of public authority renders what with the attempt on the life of Pope John hood to kingdom come would simply be might otherwise'have been a free society Paul II, the U.S...
...If I may shift from a canine to a Just the opposite...
...some things we just don't intend to put up ington denies this...
...are created equal...
...Assassination will become the continuation of politics by other means...
...and must seek ways of altering the lines held two prejudices that would have Now that I'm older and wiser, I've of authority so as to accommodate it...
...Jay P. Dolan tells us that through- Any discussion of the role of the laity of the question posed by the forthcoming out that century, "Two concepts of local in the church must deal with these differsynod - what is the role of the laity in church government were at odds: a con- ences of opinion and the gap they indithe church...
...Libya is likely to increase the frequency Second, the bombing in Tripoli plainly Qaddafi didn't seem to understand, Pres- of terrorism...
...My impulse to cheer the president this marshy land in Florida...
...Great powers have great interests...
...Once open, that door and the world will soon be littered with the corpses of murdered leaders of nations...
...caused me to disapprove of the American renounced these juvenile prejudices...
Vol. 113 • June 1986 • No. 11
