They have a lot of conferences over in Rome about . . . well, all kinds of stuff. Shoes and ships and sealing wax and cabbages and kings. Everything from soup to nuts.
I’m not always sure how necessary or valuable some of these conferences are, but here’s one I can really get behind:
The fifth international congress of military ordinates is focusing on the theme "Soldiers at the Service of Peace."
The president of the congress, being held in the Vatican from Oct. 23-27, is Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
He is being assisted by Father Giulio Cerchietti, head of the congregation’s central office for the pastoral coordination of military ordinariates.
As they saying goes, there are no atheists in foxholes (a slight exaggeration, but not much of one), and soldiers definitely need pastoral care.
I’m also glad–among much of the reflexive peace-at-any-costs language that we encounter in some ecclesiastical circles–a recognition of the Catechism’s reality-based statement that
Those who are sworn to serve their country in the armed forces are servants of
the security and freedom of nations. If they carry out their duty honorably,
they truly contribute to the common good of the nation and the maintenance of
peace (CCC 2310).
Amen.
