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A reflection by Fr. Oscar Pezzarini, General Commissioner of the Work of Don Orione

Father Oscar Pezzarini

"Let us pray to God for war to stop"

Father Oscar held that "no human being with his heart in order can admit the havoc of invasions." He said that "the news are contradictory to the vindications used by world leaders." He reflected on confidence due to the rejection of war by the world population.

Buenos Aires, Sunday, March 23, 2003.- Father Oscar Pezzarini, in charge of the weekly comment in "La Manga", Fr. Julio Grassi's radio program (Radio Rivadavia -AM 630 kHz- Sundays from 2 to 5 a.m.) held tonight that "no human being with his heart in order can admit the havoc of invasions."

"The only feeling which gives us any hope is that the bulk of the world population disagrees with war because it is known that war is defeat", sustained the General Commissioner of the Work of Don Orione.

"'The only defeated one in a war is humanity', tells us Pope John Paul II. And yes, it is true, we are all being defeated."

"The news and the vindications used by world leaders are as contradictory as the reasoning that war is needed to get peace. I feel impotent when I hear that in order to get peace of mind one must resort to violence."

"The world has developed so much technology that it even thinks of 'manufacturing' human beings, yet it is unable to find solutions to a conflict which avoid death and the suffering of innocent people."

The priest asked for no more speaches and meetings at a global level. "What good are the United Nations?" Father Oscar Pezzarini asked himself. "They sure are no good to avoid war."

He also questioned himself about the interests behind this war. "The interest of peace, as some say?" he asked again. "I cannot understand how the leaders hold up that the way for the Iraqi people to obtain freedom is war."

"No human being with his heart in order can admit the havoc of invasions. The only feeling which gives us any hope is that the bulk of the world population diesagrees with war because it is known that war is defeat."

"In every part of the world we still see mass demonstrations against war actions in Iraq. We all wish that other ways could be found so that this soon comes to an end and that the death of so many innocents is stopped."

"All who get killed in a war are innocent. I don't think there may be someone with enough guilt to die. Let us pray to God for this war to end and for a small number of death."

"On next Tuesday we celebrate the Incarnation of our Lord, the Feast of the Annunciation. It is the day on which God comes down to Earth and becomes man like us to bring us the peace which evil and sin had broken from the original harmony of Mankind. In our country as well as in many others, this is the Day of the Child to Come, which remembers so many innocents who in many cases are abortion victims. Let us pray for so many innocents who die in this war."

At the closure Father Pezzarini recalled that on next March 28 at 7 p.m. the Cottolengo's Main Church where Don Orione's heart rests will be instituted by the bishop of Lomas de Zamora, Monsignor Agustin Radrizzani, as the first shrine in the world dedicated to Don Orione.

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