Catholic Just War Update
New Remarks:
Have you heard what the Pope has said about the war? Or only what the media has told you? (Read his Address)
Also read Ambassador to the Vatican’s Interview (Read Article)
News: A Call during the Arab Summit for Saddam to step down and go into exile (Read Story)
Iraq’s Deception: Iraq pledges to disarm some weapons, but this tactic was used before to stall for time (Read Story)
Catholic Debate Rages: Many Catholics continue to debate the justification for war (Read Some Postings)
Resources: Summa Theologica on War & War, a Catholic technical definition
Catholic Just War Update March 7, 2003
New to the Site:
Cardinal Laghi, Special Envoy from the Holy See, met with President Bush (Read his statement)
Noted Catholic Scholar Responds to this Statement (Read The War is Just)
Are Catholics free to disagree on the conclusion of the just war doctrine? (Read Deal Hudson's Article)
Wisdom:
Particularly relevant to the discussion of the pending war with Iraq and countries such as France standing against the war is this quote. This is from Maritain's France My Country Through the Disaster (1941), pps.16-17:
"Could the democracies have avoided the war? They unquestionably could have avoided this war if they had had the wit and moral courage either to forestall Hitler's taking power by adopting at once a generous and firm policy toward Germany while she was still disarmed, or by overthrowing Hitler before he got too strong. Instead of that, both in England and in France, the democracies wretchedly deserted their own cause and their own ideals everywhere in the world and allowed themselves to be led to the slaughter by an incompetent and not altogether honest leadership. . . . Catholic Just War Update Catholic Just War Update If you have not heard already there is a bishop in Ohio that has stated the war is intrinsically evil and (at least in his Romanian rite diocese) Catholics can not participate in this war under pain of sin. He states that participation in this war is as if you were participating in an abortion. The authority upon which he states this is beyond his scope as a bishop. This bishop states, "I hereby authoritatively state that such direct participation (in this war) is intrinsically and gravely evil and therefore absolutely forbidden." He is not stating his opinion or even using this as public opportunity to challenge or educate. On the contrary he says he is not speaking "as a theologian or as a private Christian voicing his opinion, nor by any means am I speaking to you as a political partisan. I am speaking to you solely as your bishop with the authority and responsibility I... have been given as a successor to the apostles on your behalf." Like many of you this statement frustrated me, so I contacted the diocese directly. Their response was polite and respectful but they did not offer a clarification and would not consider a retraction. So I pursued a clarification from Archbishop O'Brien of the Military Ordinariate. More quickly then I expected I received a fax from the diocesan offices of the Military Ordinariate. Archbishop O'Brien is a great and worthy bishop who used his experience, knowledge and faithfulness to help bring clarity to Bishop Botean's statement. In response to my inquiry, Archbishop O'Brien reaffirmed that the position of the bishops and the Church is not and has not been that this war is evil or unjust. He took exception to Bishop Botean's statements regarding this war and clarified 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 conclusion in using the just war doctrine. His letter in response can be read online at http://www.catholicjustwar.org/obrienreply.asp. Many people are being confused by this bishop's statement and I urge you to spread Archbishop O'Brien's response far and wide. For more on this topic: Read Posts at Brumley's Blog & Read a Canon Lawyer's Blog (regarding Bishop Botean's statement) Other Items:
Nations that want to survive and live in peace have to understand that neither of these two goals is to be attained without clearly facing the risk of war; it is only when the existence of this risk has been taken cognizance of and accepted that it is possible to adopt an intelligent enough policy to obviate it. The European democracies understood this too late. Every democracy whose rule of life is not heroic but hedonistic will grasp such things too late."
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church "Peace is the work of justice and the effect of charity." (CCC # 2304). This is the peace that must be sought after not simply the absence of war. This war was not sought after but rather it was thrust upon us. Saddam still has within his power the ability to avoid this war. The United States and the other members of the coalition have exhausted all other diplomatic means and it has come to this. Would it be just to leave Saddam in power after his lawlessness and dangerous behavior? Would it be charitable to ignore this threat to Iraq's neighbors, the Iraqi people, and the United States?
News:
Bishop's Statement Clarified