- Dear Friends
-
- I write this appeal for your help as a pediatrician,
a mother, and a grandmother -- and I am writing about the lives of tens
of thousands of children.
-
- Although the current administration has demonstrated
it has no reservations
- about slaughtering up to 500,000 innocents in Iraq, there
is one person whose
- life they absolutely will not risk. That person is Pope
John Paul II. While
- the Pope has already formally denounced the proposed
war, calling it a defeat
- for humanity, as well as sent his top spokesperson to
meet with Saddam
- Hussein, he now must take a historically unprecedented
action of his own and
- travel to Baghdad. The Pope's physical presence in Iraq
will act as the
- ultimate human shield, during which time leaders of the
word nation can
- commit themselves to identifying and implementing a peaceful
solution to this
- war that the world's majority clearly does not support.
-
- To persuade the Holy Father to take this unusual
but potent action, he must hear from
- you and millions of others around the world who have
already been inspired to
- stand up and speak out for peace. A mountain of surfacemail,
email, faxes,
- and phone calls are our devices to inspire him. Please understand that
your
- taking just a few minutes right now to communicate with him may
ultimately spare the lives of thousands of innocent people who at this
moment live in complete terror from the threat of an
- imminent U.S.-lead military strike on their homeland.
-
- So here is what you can do to be a part of this powerful
final action to stop
- the march to war in Iraq.
-
- 1. Do not forward the letter below. Its power depends
upon your sending it
- directly, as a personal communication to the Pope.
-
- 2. Simply cut and paste the letter below into a new email.
Also cut and paste the Vatican email address we have provided.
-
- 3. At the close of the letter, type in your name, city
and state--no need to
- include your address.
-
- 4. Either email, (accreditamenti@pressva.va) FAX ([from
USA] 011-39-06698-85378--from other countries drop the 011 prefix -- or
send a hardcopy of this letter to the addresses in the letter below. DO
NOT put "Italy" anywhere on the envelope, as this will send your
mail into the Italian mail system which is independend of the Vatican system.
Should you wish to phone the Vatican directly, (from USA) dial 011-39-06-69-82--all
other countries must use their appropriate international prefix.
-
- 5. Pass this original email on to as many people you
can so as to assure a
- critical mass is reached in this action.
-
- 6. Note that as you and others begin sending your letters,
faxes and emails,
- there will be a simultaneous effort to alert the media
of this action, so as
- to be sure it is publicly known throughout the world.
-
- Thank you for participating in this formal request of
the Pope. We just may
- stop this war in Iraq -- and save these childrens' lives.
-
- Dr. Helen Caldicott
-
- -----------------------------------
-
- His Holiness John Paul II
-
- Apostolic Palace
-
- 00120 Vatican City State
-
- Europe
-
- "Father, why has thou forsaken me?"
-
- Your Holiness:
-
- I write to you today out of a sense of great urgency.
As you know the United States of America is on the verge of launching what
may be one of the most cataclysmic wars in history using weapons of mass
destruction upon the Iraqi people, fifty percent of whom are less than
15 years of age.
-
- Conservative estimates are that such a war will result
in the death of 500,000 Iraqis. It seems clear that, at this time, you
are the only person on Earth who can stop this war. Indeed, your physical
presence in Baghdad, will prevent the impending slaughter of hundreds of
thousands of human beings, and force the international community of nations
to identify and implement a truly peaceful resolution to this unprecedented,
preemptive aggression.
-
- I implore you to travel to Baghdad and to remain there
until a peaceful solution to this crisis has been implemented. The lives
of the people of the people of Iraq rest in your hands - as does the fate
of the world.
-
- With hope,
-
- (your name)
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