Most of us who, from the beginning, have opposed the war in Iraq have been confounded by the near silence of the American faith communities that make peace-making so much of their talk.Im convinced the administration has masterfully intertwined supporting the troops and supporting the war, and the public has been duped, even made to feel guilty that somehow opposing the U.S. occupation is a slap in the face of the men and women sent there in the hopeless, deadly task. As a Vietnam-era U.S. Army veteran, trained for infantry but assigned to a typewriter and an infantry training company desk job, I know GIs must follow orders ugly and ill-conceived as they can be. Yet, you never found this Army sergeant cursing the war protesters on college campuses and outside the White House from 1969 to 1971 while I was typing paperwork that helped move troops to Vietnam and that folly. I had to follow orders, but discreetly voiced my sheer contempt for the Johnson-Nixon war. Critics of that similarly mindless war were vindicated by history.The American public is free of constraints put on those in uniform, and, for now, is obliged to help save the butts of our soldiers by smart and aggressive pressure on politicians with some power to change policies and funding for war. Heres a salute to what Pax Christi, a Roman Catholic organization that embraces the peace of Christ and teachings for nonviolence.From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, members of Pax Christi and other advocates for the end to the war will meet for a vigil on the lawn of the Pastoral Center of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, 400 E. Monroe St. Their activity is simple, said Tom Donovan of Pax Chisti: to pray for an end to the war in Iraq.Pax Christi USA, along with other Catholic groups, is dedicated to ending the war in Iraq, he said, and the vigil is to mobilized Catholics and other to become active voices to end it.When Catholics for the End to War in Iraq (www.catholicsforanend.org), it explained its goals: encourage our leaders to bring together Iraqs warring factions in a multi-party conference that involves neighboring countries in the peace process, provide funding and reconstruction support for Iraq, and begin an end to U.S. military operations and withdrawal of combat troops. The web site provide an opportunity to add ones name to a petition.Pax Christi USA has about 50,000 members. About 50 people are active members in the three Valley chapters, including Pas Christi-Tempe at the ASU Newman Center; Pax Christi-Phoenix at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale; and another in Glendale. Members strive to create a world that reflects the Peace of Christ by exploring, articulating and witnessing to the call of Christian non-violence. The groups Q&A sheet for the public explains how it would have responded to 9/11 and the war on terrorism. It would respond with forgiveness and reconciliation and employ aggressive peace-making efforts in the tradition and Martin Luther King Jr. and other who taught the world about nonviolence.Pax Christi borrows from Jesuit priest John Dear: We have to find new, non-violent, nonmilitary solutions to the worlds problems. He lamented that were teaching people around the world to hate us. Were asking for more September 11ths.Pope John Paul II, who was in our Valley 20 years ago today, put it this way in a talk in 2003: War is not always inevitable. It is always a defeat for humanity.

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