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Financial Assistance requested
(a non-profit organization) Post Office Box 850307 Mobile, Alabama 36685-0307 Phone/FAX: (334) 639-7456 July 27, 1995 Mr. Luke Gormally, Director RE: Request for theological review of writings to establish degree of validity. Dear Mr. Gormally, Early this past June, on a visit to Rome, I met with Fr. John Rock of Cardinal Ratzinger's office. He suggested that I start a dialogue with orthodox moral theology study centers. He recommended your center as one such place to contact. This past year I have become publicly involved with the philosophical and theological question of "Justifiable Homicide" in relation to practicing abortionists who are destroying innocent human lives. The position I am now holding was developed following the shooting of a practicing abortionist, Dr. David Gunn, outside of a Pensacola, Florida abortion clinic he was about to enter. He was shot by a Mr. Michael Griffin who had recently become involved in prolife activities. It is my understanding that Mr. Griffin had been away from active involvement with Christian life for a number of years. Approximately two years before the shooting incident he began a new and sincere relationship with God in a local Pensacola Protestant church. Within a few weeks prior to the incident he had become involved with a prolife organization which did sidewalk counseling and also ran a home for unwed mothers. He has since been tried and convicted. He is now serving a twenty-five year prison sentence. Very few have attempted to speak in Michael Griffin's defense. The enclosed five documents have been written since last August 15th when a cartoon, I had an artist design, was published in the local newspaper and quickly made national news. My bishop, Archbishop Oscar Lipscomb, following the publication and subsequent media interviews removed me from my parish and has terminated my faculties for saying public Mass and hearing confessions. He did this without formal process. I receive no income from the Church and am currently dependent upon my own resources for expenses. Initially I sent him a variety of various collected documents, from many different sources, relating to the question of justifiable homicide. These he quickly rejected. However, he promised to have two theologian friends of his study the question. He stated he would evaluate their findings and then inform me of the results of the study. To this day he has never personally discussed the issue with me. For a long time I did not hear from him. But, because of continuing public interest in my various activities, he finally took one of the two documents he had received and made it his own, perhaps with a few minor revisions. He has since published it in the Archdiocesan newspaper. This is interspersed with my contextual rebuttal of the position he published. It includes a commentary on the cover letter he sent to me. It is entitled, "You Shall Not Murder" versus "Justifiable Homicide". Including my cover letter and introduction it totals 20 pages. It was dated 12 December 1993. The second document enclosed, dated 7 May 1994, is entitled, "A Rational Presentation of the Use of Lethal Force in Opposing Aborticide". Perhaps three-quarters of the document contains quotations from a variety of sources, primarily, "The New Catholic Encyclopedia" and St. Thomas Aquinas' "Summa Theologica". (16 pages). The third document is a cover letter for the second document and a variety of other documents given to Fr. Rock for Cardinal Ratzinger. It is dated 20 June 1994. (8 pages). The forth document, dated 19 July 1994, is a page from the notes of Dr. Terence Hughes. He was a member of the White Rose group who were in Rome to petition the Vatican to have public officials excommunicated who were giving public approval of abortion . He had accompanied me on my visit to Cardinal Ratzinger's office. The notes contain suggestions for use in illustrating my position by posing some practical examples of circumstances under which arguments in favor of justifiable homicide hold true. The fifth document, dated 29 June 1994, is an open letter to Pro-Life Rescue Leaders in response to a demand for the signing of an agreement against violence in conjunction with events with which they are associated. (2 pages). The sixth document, dated 12 July 1994, is in response to a concern expressed by an activists prolife priest in regard to time of ensoulment. (2 pages) The seventh document, dated 16 July 1994, is an open letter to the U.S. Congress and has also been mailed to the president, vice-president, supreme court justices, and every governor of the United States and territories. (4 pages). The eight document, dated 27 July 1994, is a letter written to Jean Elmore, Executive Director of an organization which is demanding a written agreement against violence to abortionists and facilities if they want to be associated with them and use their services. (4 pages). Copies of additional documents and letters mentioned above but not herein included are available upon request. Enclosed also is a five and a quarter inch floppy disk containing files of the enclosed materials in case you desire to review them in a different format. I use Word Perfect 6.0 DOS version. Should you have any questions please feel free to ask. I have been actively involved with pro-life counseling and activities for over eleven years. I believe I am right in the position I have taken but maintain an open mind on the subject and on all theological questions. The topic of "Justifiable Homicide" is a difficult one and understandably most people are not prepared to deal with it. Some writers and theologians have agreed with my position but are generally not willing to make public statements on the subject. I am hoping for a productive dialogue with you and your organization and await your reply. Sincerely in Christ, fr. David C. Trosch Enclosures as stated above. NOTE: As of June 23, 1997 no responses have been received. Letters sent to: Fr. David Beauregard Mr. Luke Gormally, Director Mr. J. P. McFadden  Editor
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