Gospel Nonviolence
Peacemaking is a radical commitment — a demanding journey that needs to be shared. AUSCP invites you to learn about and get involved in the two initiatives related to Gospel Nonviolence. “Ban and Buy back” and the “Eucharist of Gospel Non-Violence” follow the new report on actions at assembly 2023.
Report for Gospel Nonviolent Working Group
AUSCP Assembly June 13, 2023
By Bob Cushing, Chair
Introduction
Our Gospel Nonviolence Working Group (GNV-WG) expresses our deep gratitude to the
AUSCP community and the Leadership Team for their support and for choosing Gospel
Nonviolence as one of three priorities for these three years. This is both a gift and a challenge,
since the threat of personal, systemic, and global violence can be overwhelming. I want to thank
the other core members of our Working Group— John Heagle, Bernie Survil, Tim Taugher,
Harry Bury, Mark Scibilia-Carver, Sr. Paulette Schroeder, Deacon Jim Rauner, my wife Donna
Cushing, and Bob Bonnot. They are truly “Artisans of Peace,” a joyful team who live the vision.
It is a privilege to share this work.
BAN AND BUY BACK
The Gospel Non-Violence Group has adopted a Ban and Buy Back program, proposed by Fr. John Forliti, Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis.
EUCHARIST OF GOSPEL NONVIOLENCE
The AUSCP Working Group has prepared the Eucharist of Gospel Nonviolence, developed by group member John Heagle. It describes a six-week period of commitment, dialogue, and hard work.
Ban and Buy Back Initiative
The Gospel Nonviolence Working Group has adopted a Ban & Buy Back program (proposed to us by Fr. John Forliti, Archdiocese of St Paul/Mpls). This program joins with several other national movements to ban all assault-style weapons (e.g., AR-15s, etc.) along with the binding offer to buy them back. Although this proposal will be difficult to pass in our current senate, if the faith communities mobilize around this issue and bring pressure to bear on congress and the voting public, it might finally bring more safety to our children and society.
We are asking the Leadership Team to adopt this as a full AUSCP proposal and, in turn, use this to launch further advocacy with bishops, priests, lay leaders, social concerns committees in parishes, and other faith communities. Please join us in this effort and read on for further details and the rationale for this project. Download and print our BAN Wagon Poster HERE.
The Eucharist of Gospel Nonviolence
The AUSCP is presenting this prayer to our U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and urging them to seek at least experimental approval from the Vatican Office of Worship. We also encourage our members and all interested to pray with this and other prayers in approved ways. We urge you to join with us in advocating for the Eucharist of Gospel Nonviolence with the hope that it will become integral to our Catholic worship.
We move forward with both deep respect for our Catholic liturgical tradition, but also a commitment to help infuse it with a more traditional grounding in Jesus the Christ, the Suffering Servant of Abba, and his teaching and life-ministry of nonviolent love.” – John Heagle
Also included is the text of a letter written by Daniel Hale to Judge Liam O’Grady, as he describes his PTSD and depression after serving in Afghanistan and his participation in the drone strikes killing “misguided young men who were but mere children on the day of 9/11.” At the beginning of his letter, Hale quotes US Navy Admiral Gene LaRocque who was speaking to a reporter in 1995: “We now kill people without ever seeing them. Now you push a button thousands of miles away … Since it’s all done by remote control, there’s no remorse . . . and then we come home in triumph.”