Statement of Old Catholic Churches International on the War in Iran

No. 2026022801
February 28, 2026

The Old Catholic Churches International issues this statement in response to the major military attacks launched by the United States and #Israel against #Iran, and Iran’s retaliatory strikes that are now spreading fear and death across the region.

We speak first as pastors, to the faithful who are anxious, to families who are glued to the news, to veterans whose bodies remember what headlines sanitize, and to every person whose heart is breaking as the numbers of dead and wounded rise. The Church’s concern is not theoretical. It is flesh and blood, children, neighbors, and the poor who always pay first.

1) A strongly worded moral judgment: this escalation is a grave evil

OCCI condemns, in the strongest possible terms, this widening war and the predictable expansion of human suffering it brings. Whatever political justifications are offered, the reality on the ground is that war rapidly becomes its own logic, more strikes, more retaliation, more civilian terror, more burial, more hatred handed to the next generation.

As we have said before, the choice to “answer” atrocity or threat with missiles that cause further death and damage is also morally wrong, because it does not heal the underlying wounds and instead multiplies them.

2) The protection of civilians is not optional, it is a moral test

Reports already describe extensive attacks and retaliatory strikes across the region, with significant civilian casualties claimed and humanitarian response underway. Even when facts are contested in the fog of war, this much is certain: the moral burden to protect civilians is immediate, not “later,” and not “if convenient.”

We therefore call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, de-escalation by all parties, and an urgent return to diplomacy under legitimate international frameworks.

3) The Church rejects the lie that violence will end violence

Our own teaching warns that when we embrace violence to stop violence, we risk becoming what we claim to oppose. Christians are commanded to resist vengeance and the cycle of retaliation.

Holy Scripture is not silent:

“Blessed are the peacemakers.” (Matthew 5:9)
“Seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14)
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares…” (Isaiah 2:4)

4) A warning against hatred and dehumanization

We also warn, pastorally and plainly, against the spiritual poison that always accompanies war: scapegoating, dehumanization, and calls for collective punishment. Christians must not treat Iranian civilians, Jewish communities, Muslim communities, or anyone else as targets for blame, harassment, or violence. The Gospel does not permit it, and the Church will not excuse it.

5) Call to action for the faithful and all people of goodwill

Prayer: Pray for the people of Iran, Israel, and all nations now being drawn into this conflict. Pray for civilians, refugees, the wounded, and the dead. Pray for leaders to repent of violence and choose the hard work of peace.

Advocacy: Contact your elected representatives to demand restraint, lawful accountability, humanitarian access, and a diplomacy-first course, rather than open-ended escalation.

Concrete mercy: Support reputable humanitarian relief and be prepared, as parishes, missions, and individuals, to help displaced families and those suffering trauma. The Church exists to make the Kingdom visible by protecting human dignity, especially when states and armies forget it.

Conclusion

Silence is not an option. The Church must never become accustomed to war, nor should the world accept the normalization of state violence as routine policy. We urge an immediate end to this escalation before it becomes a regional catastrophe that history will condemn and the poor will carry.

May the Lord of Peace guide the nations away from slaughter and toward repentance, restraint, and reconciliation.

+ The Right Rev. Gregory (Greer) Godsey, OSFoc
Presiding Bishop, Old Catholic Churches International

#UnitedStates #oldcatholic #Justice #Peace

Statement of Old Catholic Churches International on the War in Iran

No. 2026022801
February 28, 2026

The Old Catholic Churches International issues this statement in response to the major military attacks launched by the United States and #Israel against #Iran, and Iran’s retaliatory strikes that are now spreading fear and death across the region.

We speak first as pastors, to the faithful who are anxious, to families who are glued to the news, to veterans whose bodies remember what headlines sanitize, and to every person whose heart is breaking as the numbers of dead and wounded rise. The Church’s concern is not theoretical. It is flesh and blood, children, neighbors, and the poor who always pay first.

1) A strongly worded moral judgment: this escalation is a grave evil

OCCI condemns, in the strongest possible terms, this widening war and the predictable expansion of human suffering it brings. Whatever political justifications are offered, the reality on the ground is that war rapidly becomes its own logic, more strikes, more retaliation, more civilian terror, more burial, more hatred handed to the next generation.

As we have said before, the choice to “answer” atrocity or threat with missiles that cause further death and damage is also morally wrong, because it does not heal the underlying wounds and instead multiplies them.

2) The protection of civilians is not optional, it is a moral test

Reports already describe extensive attacks and retaliatory strikes across the region, with significant civilian casualties claimed and humanitarian response underway. Even when facts are contested in the fog of war, this much is certain: the moral burden to protect civilians is immediate, not “later,” and not “if convenient.”

We therefore call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, de-escalation by all parties, and an urgent return to diplomacy under legitimate international frameworks.

3) The Church rejects the lie that violence will end violence

Our own teaching warns that when we embrace violence to stop violence, we risk becoming what we claim to oppose. Christians are commanded to resist vengeance and the cycle of retaliation.

Holy Scripture is not silent:

“Blessed are the peacemakers.” (Matthew 5:9)
“Seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14)
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares…” (Isaiah 2:4)

4) A warning against hatred and dehumanization

We also warn, pastorally and plainly, against the spiritual poison that always accompanies war: scapegoating, dehumanization, and calls for collective punishment. Christians must not treat Iranian civilians, Jewish communities, Muslim communities, or anyone else as targets for blame, harassment, or violence. The Gospel does not permit it, and the Church will not excuse it.

5) Call to action for the faithful and all people of goodwill

Prayer: Pray for the people of Iran, Israel, and all nations now being drawn into this conflict. Pray for civilians, refugees, the wounded, and the dead. Pray for leaders to repent of violence and choose the hard work of peace.

Advocacy: Contact your elected representatives to demand restraint, lawful accountability, humanitarian access, and a diplomacy-first course, rather than open-ended escalation.

Concrete mercy: Support reputable humanitarian relief and be prepared, as parishes, missions, and individuals, to help displaced families and those suffering trauma. The Church exists to make the Kingdom visible by protecting human dignity, especially when states and armies forget it.

Conclusion

Silence is not an option. The Church must never become accustomed to war, nor should the world accept the normalization of state violence as routine policy. We urge an immediate end to this escalation before it becomes a regional catastrophe that history will condemn and the poor will carry.

May the Lord of Peace guide the nations away from slaughter and toward repentance, restraint, and reconciliation.

+ The Right Rev. Gregory (Greer) Godsey, OSFoc
Presiding Bishop, Old Catholic Churches International

#UnitedStates #oldcatholic #Justice #Peace

Join us Sunday, February 8, 2026 for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mass at 3:00 PM. We meet at 557 Greene Street in Augusta, Georgia.

If you cannot join us in person, you can join us virtually here on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SaintFrancisParish), on our social media site (https://video.myocci.social), TikTok (@saintfrancis30901), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@SaintFrancisParish).

We hope you will join us!

@followers #oldcatholic #religion #faith #spirituality #CatholicMass

Join us Sunday, January 18, 2026 for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Mass at 3:00 PM Eastern Time.

If you cannot join us in person, you can join us virtually here on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SaintFrancisParish), on our social media site (https://video.myocci.social), TikTok (@saintfrancis30901), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@SaintFrancisParish).

We hope you will join us!

@followers #oldcatholic #religion #faith #spirituality #CatholicMass

Christmas at the Margins - https://oursaintfrancis.org/christmas-at-the-margins/

We gather in the stillness and shadow of Christmas Midnight Mass to tell a story the world keeps trying to silence.

It is not a story of comfort or control. It is not a story about power winning through force. It is the story of a child born into danger, poverty, and political violence. A story of God choosing to be with those who are pushed to the edges.

Our lectionary opens Midnight Mass with words that feel almost too familiar to a weary world: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” That light does not arrive with an army or a decree. It comes quietly, carried in the arms of a young woman who has no social standing and no protection beyond faith and courage.

Jesus is born because there is no room. No room in the inn. No room in the systems of his time. No room in an empire that thrives on fear, hierarchy, and control. The Son of God enters the world, already excluded.

This is where Christmas begins.

At Saint Francis Parish and Outreach, we insist on telling the whole Christmas story. Not the sanitized version that fits neatly into holiday decorations, but the real one. A child born under occupation. A family living under the threat of state violence. Parents who will soon have to flee as refugees to protect their child from a ruler who uses fear to maintain power...

#oldcatholic #christmas #church #spirituality

Walking With the Stranger: Advent Joy, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the Call to Courage - https://oursaintfrancis.org/walking-with-the-stranger-advent-joy-our-lady-of-guadalupe-and-the-call-to-courage/

This Sunday’s lectionary readings bring us deeper into the heart of Advent, that season when the Church holds tension between longing and hope, between what is broken and what God is healing. Isaiah encourages a weary people: “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees” (Isaiah 35:3). James echoes that call, urging the early Church to “establish your hearts” (James 5:8) as they wait for the Lord. And in the Gospel (Matthew 11:2–11), Jesus offers signs of the Kingdom already breaking into the world—good news for the poor, healing for the hurting, freedom for those crushed by systems of power.

For us at Saint Francis Parish and Outreach in Augusta, these Scriptures do not float in the air as spiritual poetry. They land firmly in the middle of our ministry with immigrants, refugees, the poor, and those who have been silenced or mistreated. Advent tells the truth: the world is wounded, but God is at work in those wounds.

**Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Marginalized**

This week we also honor Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Old Catholic Churches International. Her presence reminds us that God often chooses to reveal holy truth through those the world considers unimportant. Mary did not appear to a nobleman, a wealthy family, or a bishop. She appeared to Juan Diego, an Indigenous man living under the weight of colonization, poverty, and cultural erasure.

Her message was more than comforting—it was disruptive. She lifted up a people whose dignity had been denied and challenged the Church to listen to voices it had often ignored. Her Magnificat is not a sweet lullaby but a declaration of God’s justice:

- the proud scattered
- the mighty cast down
- the hungry filled

**Walking With Immigrants in a Climate of Rising Hostility**

Here in Georgia, the headlines remind us daily that our immigrant neighbors are living under increasing pressure. Political rhetoric grows harsher, policies become more punitive, and communities already carrying trauma are forced into deeper uncertainty. Some of the language emerging in our national conversation echoes the same authoritarian impulses the Church has resisted in past generations, scapegoating, exclusion, and the portrayal of human beings as threats rather than as bearers of God’s image.

*To walk with immigrants is not about partisanship. It is about discipleship.*

At Saint Francis, we see the sacredness of this calling every day. We meet families fleeing violence and poverty, workers laboring long hours for low wages, and children bravely adapting to a new culture while carrying burdens far beyond their years. We receive far more from them than we give: resilience, joy, faith, and a living witness to hope.

**Standing Against Abuse and the Normalization of Harm**

Abuse, whether personal, political, or structural, thrives wherever silence becomes the norm. Advent challenges that silence. It insists that God does not accept cruelty as “the way things are.” Jesus’ words to John, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me,” speak to the courage required to follow him when compassion becomes countercultural.

Standing against abuse means refusing to normalize hateful speech about immigrants. It means resisting rhetoric that divides communities, justifies harm, or treats vulnerable people as disposable. It also means supporting survivors of domestic violence, workplace exploitation, state violence, and all forms of mistreatment. Advent calls us not only to wait for Christ, but to walk in his way now.

**A Final Word for Our Community**

As we celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe, may we remember that she stands with the poor, the immigrant, the survivor, and the silenced. She reminds us that God sees those whom society overlooks. She reminds us that tenderness can be revolutionary.

Her words to Juan Diego echo into our parish today:

**“Am I not here, I who am your mother?”**

May that assurance strengthen our hands, steady our knees, and deepen our resolve to walk with the stranger, confront injustice, and proclaim hope in a world that deeply needs it.

Pax et Bonum,

Bishop Greer

#oldcatholic #catholic #immigrants #WalkWithImmigrants #antifascist

Walking Together: A Reflection on Scripture, Immigration, and Faithful Resistance

Hello, beloved community of Saint Francis Parish and Outreach! As we gather this week, whether in the sanctuary, over coffee, or in the quiet corners of our lives, let’s take a moment to reflect together. I want to invite you into a conversation, a gentle, honest one, about what our sacred scriptures are calling us toward, especially in these turbulent times when the world so often seems divided, anxious, and in need of compassion.

Welcoming the Journey

Here at Saint Francis, our hearts are open to those searching for dignity, safety, and belonging. Whether you’ve been here decades or just arrived, whether your roots run deep or you’re new to town, know that you are part of this journey. This week, as we listen to Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14a, and Matthew 24:37-44, I invite you to consider how these words speak into our lives as we walk alongside immigrants and courageously stand against the rising tides of injustice and exclusion. Let’s reflect on how faith can be a lantern in the night, guiding us with compassion and hope.

Scripture Reflections: Insights and Invitations

Isaiah 2:1-5 – The Dream of Peaceful Pilgrimage

In Isaiah’s vision, all nations stream toward the mountain of the Lord, yearning to learn God’s ways and walk in divine paths. Swords are hammered into plowshares, spears into pruning hooks, every instrument of violence transformed into a tool for nurturing life. Isaiah’s words stand as a dream for our world: peoples walking side by side, not as rivals but as kin, living in peace.

How beautifully this echoes our calling today! We, too, are invited into the gentle work of “walking in the light of the Lord” walking with those who journey from distant lands, war, or poverty, seeking a new home and a safe future for their families. Isaiah’s vision is a radical welcome. It’s a reminder that faith is not just about personal piety but communal transformation, about forging peace where there is division and forging friendship where there is fear.

Romans 13:11-14a – Wake Up, Put on Christ

Paul's letter to the Romans calls us to wake from sleep, for “the night is far gone, the day is near.” Paul urges us to cast aside the works of darkness and to clothe ourselves with the light of Christ. This is not just a private spiritual practice, it’s a way of life that radiates out into how we treat others, especially the vulnerable and marginalized.

Putting on Christ means seeing the immigrant, the stranger, and the refugee with Christ’s eyes: eyes of love, not suspicion; arms that open, not close. Paul’s urgency is clear, the time for compassion and justice is now, not later. Our call is to live not just for ourselves but for the flourishing of all.

Matthew 24:37-44 – Stay Awake, Be Ready

Jesus’ words in Matthew offer a sobering warning: “Keep awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” He describes ordinary people, going about ordinary lives, unaware of the critical moment at hand. The point isn’t to live in fear, but in readiness, in a spirit of alertness to God’s movement, especially in unexpected places and people.

How easy it is to be lulled into comfort, to close our doors and hearts, to look away from those who suffer injustice. Jesus calls us to stay awake, to respond with courage and hospitality when our neighbors need us most.

Walking with Immigrants: Scripture and Solidarity

So, what does it mean for us, as a parish community, to “walk in the light” alongside immigrants and refugees? It means first listening. Listening to stories of hope and hardship, honoring the courage it takes to leave everything behind in search of safety and opportunity. It means seeing Christ in our neighbors, learning from them, and creating space for all to belong.

But solidarity goes further. It means challenging systems that contribute to injustice, standing up when immigrants and refugees are threatened by exclusion, scapegoating, or violence. It means remembering that our spiritual ancestors were migrants and sojourners, and that the call to hospitality is woven deep into our faith.

When we welcome immigrants, we do not lose; we are enriched, stretched, and transformed. Our parish becomes more like Isaiah’s vision: a gathering of many peoples, learning to live together in peace.

Standing Up Against Fascism: Faith-Based Resistance

Fascism is a word that can feel harsh, but it’s important that we name the realities we face. Wherever there is a force, political, social, or cultural, that seeks to divide us from our neighbors, that stokes fear and hatred, that elevates power over compassion, we as people of faith are called to resist.

https://oursaintfrancis.org/walking-together-a-reflection-on-scripture-immigration-and-faithful-resistance/

#oldcatholic #spirituality #immigrants #immigration

Walking Together: A Reflection on Scripture, Immigration, and Faithful Resistance

Hello, beloved community of Saint Francis Parish and Outreach! As we gather this week, whether in the sanctuary, over coffee, or in the quiet corners of our lives, let’s take a moment to reflect together. I want to invite you into a conversation, a gentle, honest one, about what our sacred scriptures are calling us toward, especially in these turbulent times when the world so often seems divided, anxious, and in need of compassion.

Welcoming the Journey

Here at Saint Francis, our hearts are open to those searching for dignity, safety, and belonging. Whether you’ve been here decades or just arrived, whether your roots run deep or you’re new to town, know that you are part of this journey. This week, as we listen to Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14a, and Matthew 24:37-44, I invite you to consider how these words speak into our lives as we walk alongside immigrants and courageously stand against the rising tides of injustice and exclusion. Let’s reflect on how faith can be a lantern in the night, guiding us with compassion and hope.

Scripture Reflections: Insights and Invitations

Isaiah 2:1-5 – The Dream of Peaceful Pilgrimage

In Isaiah’s vision, all nations stream toward the mountain of the Lord, yearning to learn God’s ways and walk in divine paths. Swords are hammered into plowshares, spears into pruning hooks, every instrument of violence transformed into a tool for nurturing life. Isaiah’s words stand as a dream for our world: peoples walking side by side, not as rivals but as kin, living in peace.

How beautifully this echoes our calling today! We, too, are invited into the gentle work of “walking in the light of the Lord” walking with those who journey from distant lands, war, or poverty, seeking a new home and a safe future for their families. Isaiah’s vision is a radical welcome. It’s a reminder that faith is not just about personal piety but communal transformation, about forging peace where there is division and forging friendship where there is fear.

Romans 13:11-14a – Wake Up, Put on Christ

Paul's letter to the Romans calls us to wake from sleep, for “the night is far gone, the day is near.” Paul urges us to cast aside the works of darkness and to clothe ourselves with the light of Christ. This is not just a private spiritual practice, it’s a way of life that radiates out into how we treat others, especially the vulnerable and marginalized.

Putting on Christ means seeing the immigrant, the stranger, and the refugee with Christ’s eyes: eyes of love, not suspicion; arms that open, not close. Paul’s urgency is clear, the time for compassion and justice is now, not later. Our call is to live not just for ourselves but for the flourishing of all.

Matthew 24:37-44 – Stay Awake, Be Ready

Jesus’ words in Matthew offer a sobering warning: “Keep awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” He describes ordinary people, going about ordinary lives, unaware of the critical moment at hand. The point isn’t to live in fear, but in readiness, in a spirit of alertness to God’s movement, especially in unexpected places and people.

How easy it is to be lulled into comfort, to close our doors and hearts, to look away from those who suffer injustice. Jesus calls us to stay awake, to respond with courage and hospitality when our neighbors need us most.

Walking with Immigrants: Scripture and Solidarity

So, what does it mean for us, as a parish community, to “walk in the light” alongside immigrants and refugees? It means first listening. Listening to stories of hope and hardship, honoring the courage it takes to leave everything behind in search of safety and opportunity. It means seeing Christ in our neighbors, learning from them, and creating space for all to belong.

But solidarity goes further. It means challenging systems that contribute to injustice, standing up when immigrants and refugees are threatened by exclusion, scapegoating, or violence. It means remembering that our spiritual ancestors were migrants and sojourners, and that the call to hospitality is woven deep into our faith.

When we welcome immigrants, we do not lose; we are enriched, stretched, and transformed. Our parish becomes more like Isaiah’s vision: a gathering of many peoples, learning to live together in peace.

Standing Up Against Fascism: Faith-Based Resistance

Fascism is a word that can feel harsh, but it’s important that we name the realities we face. Wherever there is a force, political, social, or cultural, that seeks to divide us from our neighbors, that stokes fear and hatred, that elevates power over compassion, we as people of faith are called to resist.

https://oursaintfrancis.org/walking-together-a-reflection-on-scripture-immigration-and-faithful-resistance/

#oldcatholic #spirituality #immigrants #immigration