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February 27, 2003Priest urges war alternativeByRecord-Eagle staff writer A Catholic priest and chaplain during the Vietnam War told a meeting of the Leelanau County Democrats Wednesday that Americans need to embrace a non-violent solution to the crisis in Iraq. The Rev. John Grathwohl, who served at St. Thomas More Parish in Kalamazoo, toured Iraq in December with other Catholic priests, nuns and lay people.
Grathwohl shared his experiences in Iraq, including his accounts of visits to orphanages, hospitals, churches and bomb shelters, with a crowd of about 75 people at the Leland Library. A member of Veterans for Peace and long-time pacifist, the priest said he returned from the trip knowing there must be an alternative to war. "If we can put a man on the moon, put a heart in another body, then why can't we find a way to end war?" Grathwohl said. The highlight, according to Grathwohl, came at the end of the group's stay when they attended and participated in an inter-faith service in Baghdad. The service, which was reported by television and newspapers across the world, brought attention to the pain of the Iraqi people and was a call to the U.S. to "commit to a path of active non-violent resolution," Grathwohl said.
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