SISTER OF HOLY CROSS
Regional Office
Tel. (603) 622-9504           377 Island Pond Road           Fax: (603) 622-9782
Manchester, NH 03109-4811

September 26, 2001


To the President of the United States

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500-0003

Dear President Bush:

On Saturday, September 15, 150 Sisters of Holy Cross in the U.S. Region gathered together in prayer and reflection as a response to the catastrophic events of September 11, 2001 in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania.

We turned to God in prayer for the innocent victims of this terrible tragedy and their families. We prayed for the courageous policemen, firemen and women, EMT’s, relief workers, and volunteers. We prayed for ourselves and for our nation that we may not react precipitously out of revenge or retaliation. We also prayed for you, Mr. President, and for all our country’s leaders, that you may have the wisdom to discern carefully the path to take in response to the terrorist attacks.

We recognize that, after a process of broad consultation, you are the one who carries the ultimate burden of decision making, and that you have many factors to weigh in the balance of how to confront terrorism in our world. In your speech to the nation on September 21, you said that "justice will be done". We are grateful that your first step was to demand the peaceful handing over of al-Quaida leaders so they might be tried in the international court of law. We pray, as you requested, that all foreign nationals unjustly imprisoned in Afghanistan may be freed. We share your conviction that all terrorist training camps in Afghanistan should be shut down so as to prevent any further wanton violence.

We affirm the distinction you made between those who practice the true religion of Islam, which promotes peace, and those who distort Islam into a religion that condones terrorism. We agree with your insistence that we not discriminate against, or do violence to, any of the millions of loyal Arab-Americans who follow the true tenets of Islam and who, themselves, condemn the atrocities of September 11.

Finally, we want to emphasize our strong support for increased intelligence and "patient law enforcement rather than rather than conventional military assaults," as you have stated, because that is the surest way to protect innocent lives. The 1983 U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Letter entitled, "The Challenge of Peace: God’s Promise and Our Response" recommends nonviolent means to fend off aggression and, when failing that, points us to the Just War Theory saying that "governments threatened by armed, unjust aggression must defend their people. This includes defense by armed force if necessary as a last resort". (75) The American Bishops go on to say, "We must recognize the reality of the true paradox we face as Christians living in the context of the world as it presently exists; we must continue to articulate our belief that love is possible and is the only hope for human relations, while accepting that force, even deadly force, is sometimes justified". (78)

We, the Sisters of Holy Cross, recognize that, in the face of the senseless acts of aggression perpetrated on our people, our country cannot remain neutral. However, aware that the Just War Theory is impossible to apply in a nuclear age, we urge you not to engage the United States in an armed conflict unless and until all nonviolent means to a solution have been exhausted.

Thank you for calling all peoples of the world to prayer. May God bless and guide you as you rally all nations together in the effort to bring true and lasting freedom and peace to our world.

Sincerely,

Carol J. Descoteaux, CSC
On behalf of the Sisters of Holy Cross
U.S. Regional Leadership Team