I never thought I would see the day when so many Americans have come to accept torture as justified. And, sad to say, this includes many Catholics in our Country. Torture has become a matter of policy since 9/11, and it seems that it is now accepted by many as a necessary evil, even though experts say that torture is not effective in obtaining truthful information and has caused many ordinary Muslims to have hatred for the United States and to join the cause of Al Qaeda. Our own government justifying torture refers to it and to inhumane treatment as “enhanced interrogation techniques.”

Torture has been described by both the Second Vatican Council and Pope John Paul II in his Encyclical Veritatis Splendor, as an intrinsically evil act that can never be justified.

The Bishops of the United States have joined The National Religious Campaign Against Torture, an umbrella organization of many religious groups dedicated to ending U.S. sponsored torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners. In June the Bishops developed a study guide entitled “Torture is a Moral Issue.”

The study guide has four chapters. The first speaks of inherent human dignity and that torture in prison of any kind anywhere in the world is a violation of the human person’s God given dignity. The second chapter focuses on torture itself and states that Pope Benedict himself praised the international humanitarian law of the Geneva Convention as an expression of the intrinsic demands of truth and peace, and that respect for the law must be considered binding on all peoples. The third chapter focuses on our call by the Lord to love one’s enemies and how this must be done even in an atmosphere of war and terrorism. The fourth chapter speaks of what we can do to end torture, or as it is called and justified by our country “enhanced interrogation techniques.” Some of those suggestions are to end the use of euphemisms for torture, consider signing a statement of conscience addressed to our government, pray for our enemies, participate in interreligious dialogue especially with our Muslim brothers and sisters who are horrified with terrorism as much as we are, and promoting every form of justice throughout the world.

Torture destroys not only those who are tortured but also those who inflict torture. Their humanity is also debased and slowly becomes the very evil they hate and would destroy. When torture is justified by our governmental leaders, it also affects our whole nation and lessens our commitment to justice and the rights of others in our society and in the world. It degrades all of us. Do not fear to speak up for truth, for justice, for the humanity of everyone in this world. This is not only Christian, it is what America is meant to stand for, and what once gave us a moral leadership in the world. God bless you all.