* Rev. Anthony Diacetis: "The Catholic Church's moral teaching on the just-war principle is clear: War is to be the last resort after all other avenues of peaceful resolution have been exhausted. This principle has been strongly articulated by the Pope and his emissaries to Iraq and America."

* Rev. James Schiffer: "I'm not in favor of war, and I don't know too many 'hawks' who are in the military. At the same time, freedom is not always free."

* Rev. Gary Mercure: "I believe this war is unnecessary, unjust, unlawful and immoral."

If the U.S. presence in the war in Iraq is confusing to the average Catholic, it's all the more so to some priests of the Albany Diocese, some of whom have been military chaplains -- or passionate peace activists.

'Life on the line'

Father Gorman spent 11 months stationed in Dhahran as an Air Force chaplain in the first Persian Gulf War. Now pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Margaretville, he recalled getting pay stubs during his tour of duty that noted he was at risk of death.

"I felt I was paid by the government to be an official, full-time peacekeeper and peacemaker," he remarked. "I felt I was putting my life on the line to maintain peace [and] to protect people, their homes and possessions."

With that experience, he said he sees the U.S. government's point of view that war is sometimes unavoidable -- including the war in Iraq.

"We did take steps not to go to war this time: lots of meetings, warnings, talking," he pointed out. "It wasn't done hastily. We tried to use other means; that did not work." But even though he felt it was necessary, he said, "it's hard to ever justify going to war."

Dual roles

Many priests right now find themselves walking a line between praying for peace and supporting a country at war.

Father Schiffer, a former Air Force chaplain now pastoring St. Theresa's parish in Windham, argued that anyone entering the military knows their purpose is to defend their country, which may mean war. Someone who sincerely doesn't want to fight can apply for conscientious objector status and, if accepted, be placed in non-combative duties.

"I think there is a reason for us to be [in Iraq]," he added. Saddam Hussein "had 13 years to disarm. What are we waiting for -- for him to use [biological weapons] and make us totally vulnerable?"

Just war

Even as U.S. forces march toward Baghdad, arguments on whether this is a "just war" rage on. Father Diacetis, pastor of Our Lady of Grace parish in Ballston Lake and an Army National Guard chaplain, is unsure whether all the criteria for a just war have been met. After weighing the pros and cons, the only conclusion he has come to is that this is a just war in the estimation of the Bush Administration, the Pentagon and the Department of Defense.

For Father Mercure, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Troy, the answer is more clear: The war is unjust. He caused a stir at his parish two weeks ago when he spoke out against the war in homilies at three weekend Masses. At a subsequent parish meeting, he listened to opposing views from parishioners.

Speaking "in a strictly moral sense," he argues that the qualifications for a just war include an aggressor's inflicting damage that is "lasting, grave and certain," and he doesn't believe those criteria exist.

Hiroshima

Father Mercure said that a painful incident in his own family led him to advocate so adamantly for peace: His father was the technical sergeant who loaded the atomic bomb into the Enola Gay during World War II.

Six months after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, his father died at age 27.

"I probably hate war more than anyone else. War destroys family life," Father Mercure said.

Acting justly

All the priests hoped that, since the U.S. is at war despite any of their misgivings, it treats Iraq according to the principles of a just war.

"I think we're doing very well," Father Gorman decided. "As far as the U.S. and our military, I'm absolutely sure they're doing everything they can to protect the lives of the citizens there."

He added that "even Jesus became angry in the temple," when He drove out the money-changers. "He was a non-violent person, but He had to take steps to make sure the right thing was done."

Father Schiffer believes the U.S. troops are "honorable people following orders given by other honorable people. They don't want to hurt people. They're trying to be as accurate as possible in avoiding civilian targets."

Difficult decisions

On the other hand, said Father Diacetis, "it would seem that the Iraqis are not following the international rules of war." Ill-treatment of coalition prisoners of war and Iraqi soldiers' dressing in civilian clothing or faking surrender to ambush coalition troops, he said, "are all contrary to the international laws of war."

Then again, he added wryly, "someone could refute my complaint by saying that the coalition's military incursion itself is against international law and the just-war theory. I'm just grateful I'm not a military operations planner."

Father Mercure told The Evangelist he tries not to watch too much media coverage of the war, because "it sounds like we're at a football game: 'on this side, and on this side....'"

The peace activist said the U.S. may win this war, but he doesn't think there will be any victory involved. Another war, he said, will always come until some superpower decides not to choose that option.

"I would like to meet the superpower that stops the war aggression," he stated.

Patriotism

The definition of patriotism has been called into question lately:

* Father Mercure called patriotism "an ego-trip sometimes," because "we could do anything and call it patriotic, but that doesn't make it so." He sees patriotism as the ability to protest the war.

He noted that President George W. Bush said that in this country, people can speak out for or against the war -- something that's not a freedom in Iraq. "Who's more patriotic than him?" the priest said of the President.

* Father Gorman said being patriotic doesn't equate to being warlike. "I'm a peaceful person. I do not like war," he stated firmly. "But when I was in the U.S. Air Force as a military chaplain, I was never more patriotic, because I was protecting my friends back home. You can be patriotic and still sometimes, unfortunately, you have to go to war to ensure we don't lose peace and goodwill forever. Not everyone is like St. Francis of Assisi."

* Prayer for peace is patriotic, according to Father Diacetis. "I don't see patriotism and peaceful opposition to war as incompatible," he noted. "To pray for a speedy and peaceful conclusion to this conflict, for the safety and well-being of our men and women in the armed services, and for the safety of innocent non-combatants, certainly is patriotic."

* In fact, Father Gorman hopes that people who oppose the war hold peaceful protests and that "the President will take note of what people are saying." He added: "The President has the power to declare war, and I'm sorry we have to use it. No one else has the right to declare war -- or the burden to protect our people."

Father Mercure noted that four Nobel Prize winners have taken stands against the war in Iraq: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter and Pope John Paul II. "Maybe we're not tired yet of war," the priest said; after all, the U.S. is "relatively young in the history of the world."

An active chaplain in the Army National Guard, Father Diacetis received a phone call last week from the local Naval Reserve, asking him to accompany the commander and first sergeant of a unit to notify families of the death of their loved ones in the military. "I've never had to do that yet," he said. "While it's part of my training as a chaplain, I hope I never have to use it."

(4/3/2003)