Catholic Just War



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Archbishop O'Brien Responds In response to my inquiry Archbishop O'Brien responds that the position of the bishops is not and has not been that this war is evil or unjust. He takes exception to Bishop Botean's statement that this war is evil and Catholics can not participate in it. He stated that soldiers can in good conscience serve their Commander in Chief in this war. He also made the point that Catholics in good conscience can disagree about the applications of the just war conditions. Read Archbishop O'Brien's letter
Why Iraq? Why War? Why Now? Dr. Derrin Smith addresses this questions with great precision and makes it easy to understand all that is at stake. As a Catholic and intelligence officer his insight is sharp and to the point. Read Dr. Smith's Article
The Debate Rages in Catholic Blogs Many Catholics are in different camps regarding the war with Iraq. Healthy civil debate is always good in areas that are subject to prudential judgment. See what some are saying:. Read posts from Envoy Encore. Read Posts at Brumley's Blog Read a Canon Lawyer's Blog (regarding Bishop Botean's statement)
Lay Catholic Leaders (You will be familiar with many of these leaders) Religious believers are not of a single mind when it comes to the difficult question of what to do about the threat posed to the United States and other nations by the regime of Saddam Hussein. We are divided not so much between communities of faith as within them. Devout Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and people of other faiths can be found on both sides of the question whether military action is the correct course at this time. We are Catholic citizens who wish to contribute to your deliberation of the question. Read the Open Letter to President Bush v i a g r a comprar
The Pope's Legions We appreciate the irony of a secular American business paper presuming to instruct a pope on the finer points of Catholic teaching. But it strikes us that the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, James Nicholson, had it right when he said that the Catholic catechism distinguishes between lay and clerical roles, placing the responsibility for weighing the morality of a war with public authorities. Read the McGurn Article
Why We must Fight - and Now! William Bennett helps bring moral clarity to the question of this war. He uses an analogy from Lincoln to describe liberty: "The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep's throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as a liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty." Lincoln made it clear who the sheep was and who the wolf was. It is equally important to recognize who the liberator is. Read Article
The Legality of the Use of Force In The liberation of Iraq ...the fundamental disagreement between international lawyers about the legitimacy of war in Iraq is no laughing matter. It illustrates how complex these issues are and that good men and women can honourably disagree. Read Article by David Alton
Zenit Interview with Father Richard John Neuhaus Zenit as part of its ongoing coverage of the arguments surrounding the Mideast crisis asked Father Richard John Neuhaus, editor in chief of First Things and president of the Institute on Religion and Public Life. Read this interview
Spanish Bishop confirms that political leaders are to determine the conditions of Just War (Read Interview)
Making Our Own Decisions Deal Hudson looks to the new Doctrinal Note from the Vatican and the words of our Holy Father for guidance on the question of war with Iraq. Cardinal Ratzinger’s doctrinal note makes this distinction clear: The “Church’s magisterium does not wish to exercise political power or eliminate freedom of opinion of Catholics regarding contingent questions.” I’m afraid that the level of official comment has done precisely what Cardinal Ratzinger said should not be done: Church leaders are using their political power and media access on a contingent question. Read Deal Hudson's Article
Catholic University Professor Responds A noted Catholic scholar responds to Cardinal Laghi, the Holy See's special envoy. In the classic Catholic position on just war articulated centuries ago by Augustine and Aquinas, the strict, moral duty to maintain the security of others is placed squarely upon the designated leadership of one's own nation. President Bush is accountable for our security, the United Nations is not. With all due respect to Cardinal Laghi, the Vatican envoy who visited with the president earlier this week, the legality and justice of this war does not depend upon the view of the Security Council, which has never had the direct responsibility of our continued well being. Full screen AntiAliasing. Read The War is Just
Ambassador to the Vatican Responds Ambassador to the Vatican Jim Nicholson rejected criticism of U.S. "unilateralism" on Iraq, saying the United Nations has already provided for the possibility of armed intervention if Iraq refuses to disarm. The ambassador's comments followed a statement by Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, a Vatican foreign affairs official, who said a U.S. attack on Iraq without U.N. authorization would be a "crime against peace" and a violation of international law. Read Catholic New Service Article
Why Force Would be Justified Retired U.S. Admiral and Ex-Senator, Jeremiah Denton interviews on the Problem of Aggression and the right of Catholics to decide for themselves. Read the Interview.
George Weigel, Theologian and personal biographer of the Pope ...Thus moral muteness in a time of war is a moral stance: it can be a stance born of fear; it can be a stance born of indifference; it can be a stance born of cynicism about the human capacity to promote justice, freedom, and order, all of which are moral goods. But whatever its psychological, spiritual, or intellectual origins, moral muteness in wartime is a form of moral judgment–a deficient and dangerous form of moral judgment. That is why the venerable just war tradition–a form of moral reasoning that traces its origins to St. Augustine in fifth–century North Africa–is such an important public resource. Read the rest of George Weigel's article.
Jesuit Priest from Georgetown With the exceptions of Archbishops O'Brien and Hannon, both military chaplains, and the generally positive statement of Archbishop Pell in Sydney, we have apparently a worldwide clerical chorus against war. The common theme is, "I don't have enough evidence," a theme echoed by French and German politicians, among others. A sub-theme is that things might get out of hand. Islam might "arise." Or, all preemptive strikes are bad. The main problem is the wicked Americans and their pride. Danger is subjective. Iraq does not really exist as a threat. Terrorists are, at best, a minor danger. Read the rest of Fr. Schall's article. Flytt och städ
Michael Novak, Catholic Philosopher and Theologian Michael Novak was invited by United States Ambassador to the Holy See Jim Nicholson to deliver remarks to a public audience in the Vatican City on just-war doctrine and Iraq on the evening of February 10, 2003. While in Rome, Professor Novak speaks as a private citizen, a guest of the U.S. State Department as part of its U.S. Speaker and Specialist program, and not as an official representative of the government or as an official representative of American Catholics. While in Rome, Novak is also meeting with Vatican officials. Read the text of Novak’s lecture.
Other Religious Leaders In response to a media-driven story about a “widening religious opposition” to war with Iraq religious leaders are detailing why they believe the war is just. The fact is that while there are those who oppose any military action against Iraq, a growing number of Americans — including Christians — support the President fully and understand the dangers posed by Saddam Hussein. We are grateful we have a President who is committed to protecting the United States and its citizens. And, we support him at this most critical time. Read their application of Just War with the pending war in Iraq


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