JPIC Office Blog

December 14, 2006

Dear Friends,

Peace and all Good! We join you in praying for peace in our hearts and the world.

On November 29 and 30, 2006, I was a member of the Steering Committee of the Franciscan family that met in Washington Theological union in Washington, D.C., for prayer and reflection. We were excited to develop a process to help Franciscans discern an effective way to bring the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare to our advocacy efforts in our world today. Through our enthusiastic interchange, we realized the hopes and opportunities that are available to us to create a Franciscan family national presence in advocacy. During the upcoming days in March, 2007, representatives of Franciscan leadership and JPIC ministries will be engaged in discerning this national presence in advocacy.

There is a new day in Washington, D.C., as the 110th Congress begins their session in January. A number of issues are being discussed and priorities set. The JPIC Office is hopeful that a number of important issues will be addressed in the first 100 days in this congressional session.

We are promoting a bi-partisan spirit on these concerns as we strive to find the common ground on critical concerns that face our nation and the world.

The bi-partisan report on the Iraq War offers 79 areas where both party members on the Study Committee were in agreement. The JPIC Office supports the general direction of the study and will be advocating with both parties to address these issues in a timely manner. We continue to advocate for a peaceful solution.

With Sr. Marge Zulaski's direction, the Wheaton Franciscans have signed onto the religious congregational letter to
Speaker-Elect Nancy Pelosi urging the creation of a Congressional Select Committee on Poverty. In this letter we are urging the formation of a committee to study the relationships among poverty, inequality and lack of opportunities in order to chart a course for the common good.

In doing so, the Wheaton Franciscan are joining other Catholic Religious Women in the Unites States, who are deeply concerned about the consequences of poverty. Our Sisters encounter people everyone day in our ministries, of healthcare and housing.

The JPIC Office and the Wheaton Franciscans at Our Lady of the Angels endorsed the Statement of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture: "Torture violates the basis dignity of the human person that all religious hold dear. It degrades everyone involved-policy makers, perpetrators and victims. It contradicts our nation's most cherished ideals. Any policies that permit torture and inhumane treatment are shocking and morally intolerable.

Nothing less is at stake in the torture abuse crisis than the soul of our nation. What does it signify if torture is condemned in word but allowed in deed? Let America abolish torture now-without exceptions. (For more information please go to: http://www.nrcat.org/

The JPIC Office has also signed onto the Religious Leader Letter on the Darfur Genocide addressed to Mr. Andrew Natsios, U.S. Special envoy to Darfur, calling for a comprehensive diplomatic offensive in Darfur. For more information please go to http://www.africaaction.org/index.php

Thanks for all that you are and do to make this world a better place.

Sr. Sheila Kinsey, OSF
JPIC Coordinator
Wheaton Franciscans


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