Friday, December 16, 2011

A MESSAGE FROM ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU TO OCCUPYWALLSTREET

From OccupyWallStreet:

Sisters and Brothers, I greet you in the Name of Our Lord and in the bonds of common friendship and struggle from my homeland of South Africa. I know of your own challenges and of this appeal to Trinity Church for the shelter of a new home and I am with you! May God bless this appeal of yours and may the good people of that noble parish heed your plea, if not for ease of access, then at least for a stay on any violence or arrests.

Yours is a voice for the world not just the neighborhood of Duarte Park. Injustice, unfairness, and the strangle hold of greed which has beset humanity in our times must be answered with a resounding, "No!" You are that answer. I write this to you not many miles away from the houses of the poor in my country. It pains me despite all the progress we have made. You see, the heartbeat of what you are asking for--that those who have too much must wake up to the cries of their brothers and sisters who have so little--beats in me and all South Africans who believe in justice.

Trinity Church is an esteemed and valued old friend of mine; from the earliest days when I was a young Deacon. Theirs was the consistent and supportive voice I heard when no one else supported me or our beloved brother Nelson Mandela. That is why it is especially painful for me to hear of the impasse you are experiencing with the parish. I appeal to them to find a way to help you. I appeal to them to embrace the higher calling of Our Lord Jesus Christ--which they live so well in all other ways--but now to do so in this instance...can we not rearrange our affairs for justice sake? Just as history watched as South Africa was reborn in promise and fairness so it is watching you now.

In closing, be assured of my thoughts and prayers, they are with you at this very hour.

God bless you,

+Desmond Tutu

Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town”
H/T to Occupied Bishop.

UPDATE: A clarification from Archbishop Tutu.
I’ve challenged my friends at Trinity on this issue just as I’ve challenged Trinity for the past 35 years in our ongoing friendship. I do this in love, not to harm.

I also now challenge those who disagree with Trinity. My statement is not to be used to justify breaking the law. In a country where all people can vote and Trinity's door to dialogue is open, it is not necessary to forcibly break into property. Nor is it to reinforce or build higher the barriers between people of faith who seek peace and justice. My deep prayer is that people can work together and I look forward to that conversation.

7 comments:

  1. If Trinity can work out some sort of arrangement with the occupiers, that's great (although any agreement should also involve the Lower Manhattan Arts Council, who's already leasing the space). What annoys me is the apparent attitude of the occupiers that they are somehow _entitled_ to be given the space to occupy. A three-year old who holds his breath because he doesn't get his way is cute. A 23-year old who hunger strikes because he doesn't get his way is less so.

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  2. Paul, I agree that the Arts Council, as owners of the lease, should be involved in the negotiations.

    My sympathy is with the Occupiers. As Tom Schreier, a reporter who was arrested when the group attempted to move to Duarte Square said:

    Occupy Wall Street has opened our dialogue. No longer are we bickering over birth certificates, death panels and other non-sense, we are talking about civil justice, economic justice, immigration justice, taxation justice, health justice... "99%" and "1%" are a part of our collective vernacular. Voices are being heard.

    No one was paying attention before the Occupy movement. No one was listening.

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  3. Correction: the reporter's name is Tim, not Tom.

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  4. And is anyone listening now? I do not know about Wall Street but I cannot find anyone in my city who is not fed up with the tents in our main square. As many say. "I believed in their cause but enough is enough, it has been over 2 months." It is now leading to crime. A 14 year old girl was raped in Christchurch. Why was a 14 year old girl allowed to sleep in a camp of strangers in a city park?

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  5. And is anyone listening now?

    Brian, I'm listening. Others I know are listening. The people who should be listening are not. Perhaps that's why the Occupy movement continues.

    I'm very sorry to hear about the rape of the young girl in Christchurch.

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  6. Brian, as we're in different North/South hemispheres, we may have different circumstances.

    Here in northern climes, Occupiers tend be moving out of central squares (and tents therein, Brrrr!), and into more dispersed situations (occupying foreclosed/to-be-foreclosed homes).

    Also re

    "Why was a 14 year old girl allowed to sleep in a camp of strangers in a city park?"

    I would think the girl's guardians and the civil authorities would be most responsible there. [And *rapists* are responsible for rape]. Prayers for her healing. And justice for all.

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  7. Prayers for her healing. And justice for all.

    Amen. Thank you, JCF.

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