Today is the 70th Anniversary of the attack on the United States Naval bases in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  As a country we remember the great sacrifice of those American Armed Service Personnel who lost their lives. There are those who believe that the impetus for this attack is linked to religion, in particular the Shinto religion.
There are currently 119 million practicing Shintos in Japan.  At the time of the military expansion of Japan during World War II, it was believed that the emperor was divine.  There was a belief that one of the important expansions of Shintoism was the spread of the Empire of Japan as the spread of a divine empire under a divine emperor.  The push for religious domination through war, as some historians have recounted, was part, if not at the center, of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
It is supposed that in the name of religious dominance and in service to God, that Afghan Shia Muslims were killed during their Holy Day and New Year, Christians were executed in Cairo, Egypt about two months ago, and that people were killed in Pearl Harbor 70 years ago.  Whatever religion it is, we do not believe in taking human life.
As a Catholic institution in the Benedictine Tradition, we are opposed to wars to advance dominance for the sake of dominance and superiority.  We believe in wars only for the “legitimate defense by military force” when; the damage by the aggressor would be lasting, grave and certain, all other means of ending the conflict are impractical or ineffective, the use of force is proportionate to the danger, and there must be a serious prospect of success.
We do believe in sacrificing to save lives.  In the context of the above criteria, the United States of America entered World War II with all of the criteria met, except that victory was not so certain without the willingness of people to sacrifice their lives for others, in particular for their country. We thank them for their service.
Through all of this war and taking of life, we need to reflect on and remember that we are to be people of peace first and foremost.  When we think of wars and attacks, we ought to pray that God will loudly invite those who are bent on violence to stop.  We ought to pray for the victims.  We ought to pray for justice for all peoples to learn to live and love each other.
So, on the 70th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, I want to remember all peoples who are embroiled in violence and say, “Pray for peace, everyone.”