CEDAR FALLS - A former priest and renowned pacifist wants to help more fellow Roman Catholics start thinking like, well, Catholics when it comes to social justice.

Frank Cordaro, co-founder of the Des Moines Catholic Worker House, will facilitate a Lenten retreat Saturday devoted to social justice themes. A nationally known peace and justice activist, Cordaro has won admirers and critics for acts of civil disobedience that have resulted in arrests, fines and jail time.

The Catholic church has a long history of offering instruction and guidance when it comes to topics such as poverty, war and pacifism, Cordaro said. In Cordaro's opinion, these issues need more attention within the church.

Saturday's workshop will take a look at the church's historical and modern-day teachings on social justice and how to apply them, Cordaro said. For example, some might be surprised to learn the church offers instruction on war principles but also allows for pacifism and conscientious objections, Cordaro said.

"Most Catholics don't know it and aren't familiar with it," Cordaro said. "Very few think like a Catholic when it comes to social justice."

Cordaro's connections to the Cedar Valley date back to the 1970s, when he attended the University of Northern Iowa. Cordaro went on to attend seminary and was ordained as a Catholic priest for the diocese in Des Moines.

As a priest, Cordaro worked for the poor and the homeless. He earned a reputation as an outspoken critic of nuclear weapons, the arms race, U.S. foreign and domestic policies, ROTC and abortion. Cordaro also is willing to challenge and question the Catholic Church.

Joni Hansen, a Cedar Valley Catholic and retreat organizer, admires Cordaro because he backs up his strong words with action.

"Frank doesn't just talk about it," Hansen said. "He lives it. He is really able to put himself on the line for his work."

Over the years, Cordaro has served multiple prison terms for acts of civil disobedience like trespassing at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Neb. And in 2006, Cordaro and others of were arrested for protesting the Iraq war in the offices of Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Iowa.

While jail time is "not for everybody," Cordaro says, "… It certainly is for more people than are currently embracing it."

Cordaro continues to talks pointedly and passionately about matters that trouble his heart. Lately this includes the Iraq war - he believes it immoral and illegal - and U.S. immigration policy. Cordaro loathes walls and deportation.

Cordaro believes the church's teachings on social justice are consistent with his views on these hot-button issues.

"What's good for the Catholic church is good for America when it comes to social teachings," Cordaro said.

While many Catholics would applaud and agree with Cordaro's emphasis on social justice, many disagree with his applications and conclusions, area priests say.

"I think people agree with the (social justice) teachings," said the Rev. Ken Glaser of St. Stephen the Witness Catholic Student Center at UNI. The differences come in "just how you live that out."

For example, Catholics hold varying opinions about the Iraq war, priests say. And while some may take issue with it, that doesn't universally translate to a call for all Catholics in the military to abandon the war effort, as Cordaro would endorse.

The Rev. Lyle Wilgenbusch thinks Cordaro makes good points when he talks about a just war theory. While Cordaro rubs some the wrong way, he serves a valuable purpose, he said.

"It's people like Frank who are the prodders, who say 'Hey, here it is,'" Wilgenbusch said. "That's Frank's contribution."

"He's certainly not mainstream, but he makes people think," Wilgenbusch said.

Contact Karen Heinselman

at (319) 291-1581 or

karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com.