After affirming my absolute and unequivocal belief in the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, I have to say the enthusiastic support of Steve Mosher, John-Henry Westen and Camille De Blasi for Mr. George W. Bush, as expressed in the Register's editorial “The Sitting President” (Feb. 16–22), is both puzzling and troubling. He is the man who as governor of Texas signed the most death warrants in the history of the country. He is the man who is taking the country to an unnecessary war that is going to cost hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent lives.

Is this a real pro-life stance? We cannot be cafeteria pro-lifers supporting someone who, so far, has only given lip service to the value of human life. As the editorial says, let's wait and see what does he do in the next two years. So far, in my opinion, he only deserves a very negative mark.

SALVADOR MIRANDA Miami Beach, Florida

Defeating Darkness

There is some very good food for thought in one of the items in the Feb. 9–15 Media Watch titled “Tolkien's Answer to Church Turmoil.” Author Nicole Stallworth found a few kernels of great wisdom by J.R.R. Tolkien, which all of us Catholics need to digest. She quotes The Lord of the Rings from the place where the good king succumbs to defeat because of depression about the scandal through the machinations of the dark power. Of course, this can easily be Catholics nowadays — and probably many of us are dangerously close to caving in to this dire temptation of the spirit.

It seems to me that, while we must seriously look at this in ourselves, we should also try to balance it with a remembrance of the corporal works of mercy. Not only must we not allow ourselves to give up and give in, but we are required at the same time to counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant and remind the forgetful.

If we will keep going to Mass and receiving the sacraments regularly — getting the power (grace) to fight despair — we will be able to face the worst and not put our heads in the sand. Since we have been equipped with the truth of Jesus, we can instruct the ignorant about much. Each one of us is needed to pull on the oars of the Barque of Peter. Now is not the time to isolate ourselves and hope for the best. We must seek the Lord to find out how we can better pull on those oars. Be not afraid!

RETA TALLMAN Reno, Nevada

African, Not Black

Tim Drake's article “African, Black, Catholic, and Canonized,” in your Feb 23-March 1 issue, gives the impression that the geographical accident of birth in Africa somehow makes one “black.” The popes said to have been born in Africa — The Oxford Dictionary of the Popes doubts that St. Miltiades was — are not thereby automatically members of the Negroid race, as your illustrations depict. Roman North Africa was by no means a black region.

St. Martin de Porres was the first and to date the only black canonized saint of the New World, not “one of the first” as the article carelessly states.

Drake mentions saint-in-the-making Pierre Toussaint but overlooks Blessed Benedict the Moor from Sicily and Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, the first Nigerian-born saint. There was also a beatified nun martyred in the Congo whose name I am unable to locate just now.

When I wrote the saints’ column for the Register, its historicity quotient was higher.

SANDRA MIESEL Indianapolis

Wowed by Bishop Weigand

Please pass on to Bishop William Weigand our support of his strong and correct stand on California Gov. Gray Davis and Communion. There can be no compromises on the issue of life.

Those who think there can be do not understand what God meant when he talked about the penalty for hurting a child.

Bishop Weigand, you are doing a great job. Keep up the good work, and know that the vast majority of us are behind you and support you (even though we don't do a good enough job of letting you know that).

God bless.

JOHN MCGOVERN Omaha, Nebraska