Catholics to deliver ashes to White House on Ash Wednesday

H/T to the Christian Radical blog, a Catholic Worker information service run by the CW community of Vancouver.

Washington, DC– On Ash Wednesday, February 6th Catholics for an End to the War in Iraq (CEWI), the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, TASSC and Jonah House will commemorate the day by praying for forgiveness and depositing ashes at the White House. “The use of ashes at the White House is a sign of atonement for President Bush’s war in Iraq, his continued support of torture and for his squandering of our nation’s moral leadership in the world.,” said James Salt, Organizing Director for CEWI.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, a time when Catholics pray for forgiveness in preparation for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Catholics believe that Jesus’ death was an act of atonement for personal and social sins.

Fr. Joe Nangle OFM, a Catholic priest serving at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Arlington, will be present to bless the ashes. “The use of ashes is an ancient and sacred sign that we are ultimately accountable to a higher power. If anyone needs this pastoral advice, it is President Bush,” said Fr. Nangle.

In his final year in office, Americans are evaluating President Bush’s moral legacy. “President Bush’s standing in the Catholic community is compromised by his decision to wage war in Iraq,” said James Salt, Organizing Director of Catholics for an End to the War in Iraq. “The Catholic community is very clearly against war and torture. On this day of fasting, our nation must make amends by ending the war and speaking out against torture.”

The event at the White House is part of a broader effort in the Catholic community to organize against the Iraq war during the Lenten season. CEWI is inviting Catholics to pray for peace and working to bring more Catholics into the anti-war movement. In the past six months, CEWI has collected 20,000 signatures from American Catholics calling for an end to the war. Organizers have a goal of collecting 30,000 signatures by Easter.

What: Ash Wednesday Prayer Service at the White House
Where: North Entrance of the White House near Lafayette Park
When: Procession beginning at St. Matthews Cathedral at 12:00 and arriving at the White House at 12:30

Catholics for an End to the War in Iraq, www.catholicsforanend.org is a coalition of Catholic organizations working to end the war in Iraq. The coalition works to increase the visibility of Catholics working for an end to the war in Iraq and has a petition effort that has generated over 20,000 signatures.