I think pacifism in this instance flys in the face of common sense AND religion. Why would anyone argue for murderers to go free? Even the Bible doesn't say such things. Our government and military are taking the place of a police force. Justice is just on a much bigger scale. Remember too that the Vatican turned a blind eye to the Nazis killing Jews. I have to disagree with the Pope. He, of all people, should know what the Bible says about justice and wars in the OT.
It's amazing the things you know that just aren't true. In the first place, the chief Rabbi of Rome during WWII converted to Catholicism because of the great help given to his people by the Catholic Church. You have fallen prey to recent attempts to rewrite history. Even the NY Times praised the Pope at the time for speaking out in defense of the innocent. You have been deceived.
And in the second place, the Pope's spokesman recently let it be known that the Pope did not have a problem with the US defending itself against terrorists. So there's no "pacifism" from the Pope for you to ignorantly rail against.
SD
Certainly those with deeply felt religious convictions aren't making that argument. That is a leap from what you quoted to where you landed.