Posted on 03/20/2003 10:38:18 AM PST by ArrogantBustard
Statement on War with Iraq
Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory
President
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
March 19, 2003
Our nation is on the brink of war. We worked and prayed and hoped that war would be avoided. The task now is to work and pray and hope that war's deadly consequences will be limited, that civilian life will be protected, that weapons of mass destruction will be eliminated, and that the people of Iraq soon will enjoy a peace with freedom and justice.
A time for prayer and solidarity. In time of war, our first obligation is prayer and solidarity. We pray for all those most directly affected by this war: the men and women who risk their lives in the service of our nation, their families and loved ones who face such fear and anxiety at this time, and the chaplains who serve them; the long-suffering people of Iraq, and those who labor to provide for their humanitarian needs. All of us should do what we can to reach out in solidarity to all those who will suffer as a result of this war.
Iraq's obligation to disarm. Since the Gulf War, we have been clear in calling on the Iraqi leadership to abandon efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction and to meet its obligations to destroy such weapons. We have also been clear that the international community must ensure that Iraq complies with its obligations under UN resolutions. As the Holy Father said last Sunday, "the political leaders in Baghdad have an urgent duty to cooperate fully with the international community, to eliminate any motive for armed intervention."
Deep regret that war was not averted. Our nation's leaders have made the momentous decision to go to war to address the failure of the Iraqi government to comply completely with its obligations. We deeply regret that war was not averted. We stand by the statement of the full body of bishops last November. Our conference's moral concerns and questions, as well as the call of the Holy Father to find alternatives to war, are well known and reflect our prudential judgments about the application of traditional Catholic teaching on the use of force in this case. We have been particularly concerned about the precedents that could be set and the possible consequences of a major war of this type in perhaps the most volatile region of the world. Echoing the Holy Father's admonition that war "is always a defeat for humanity," we have prayed and urged that peaceful means be pursued to disarm Iraq under UN auspices.
The decisions being made about Iraq and the war on terrorism could have historic implications for the use of force, the legitimacy of international institutions, and the role of the United States in the world. The moral significance of these issues must continue to be assessed given their importance in shaping a more just and peaceful world.
The role of conscience. While we have warned of the potential moral dangers of embarking on this war, we have also been clear that there are no easy answers. War has serious consequences, so could the failure to act. People of good will may and do disagree on how to interpret just war teaching and how to apply just war norms to the controverted facts of this case. We understand and respect the difficult moral choices that must be made by our President and others who bear the responsibility of making these grave decisions involving our nation's and the world's security (Catechism #2309).
We affirm the words of the Catechism: "[t]hose who are sworn to serve their country in the armed forces are servants of the security and freedom of nations. If they carry out their duty honorably, they truly contribute to the common good of the nation and the maintenance of peace" (#2310). We also affirm that "[p]ublic authorities should make equitable provision for those who for reasons of conscience refuse to bear arms" (#2311). We support those who have accepted the call to serve their country in a conscientious way in the armed services and we reiterate our long-standing support for those who pursue conscientious objection and selective conscientious objection.
The moral conduct of war. Once the decision to use military force is taken, the moral and legal constraints on the conduct of war must be observed. The United States and its allies are at war with a regime that has shown, and we fear will continue to show, a disregard for civilian lives and traditional norms governing the use of force. All the more reason that our nation upholds and reinforces these values by its own actions. While we recognize and welcome the improved capability and commitment to avoid civilian casualties, every effort must be made to ensure that efforts to reduce the risk to U.S. forces are limited by careful judgments of military necessity and the duty to respect the lives and dignity of Iraqi civilians, who have suffered so much already from war, repression, and a debilitating embargo.
Any decision to defend against Iraq"s weapons of mass destruction by using our own weapons of mass destruction would be clearly unjustified. The use of anti-personnel landmines, cluster bombs and other weapons that cannot distinguish between soldiers and civilians, or between times of war and times of peace, ought to be avoided. In all our actions in war, including assessments of whether "collateral damage" is proportionate, we must value the lives and livelihood of Iraqi civilians as we would the lives and livelihood of our own families and our own citizens.
Humanitarian concerns and post-war obligations. An already vulnerable Iraqi population could face terrible new burdens during this war, and a region already full of conflict and refugees could see more conflict and many more displaced persons with nowhere to go. Even amidst the chaos of war, every effort must be made to prevent internal strife and to protect vulnerable groups. We are deeply concerned that adequate resources and effective plans be put in place to address the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, which, at least in the short term, will be worsened by war. The United States, working with the United Nations, private relief organizations, and all interested parties, bears a heavy burden, during and after the war, of providing for POWs and the civilian population, especially refugees and displaced persons. Catholic relief agencies will continue to do all that they can to respond to the needs of the Iraqi people.
The United States also must accept the long-term responsibility to help Iraqis build a just and enduring peace in their country, while also addressing the many serious unresolved issues in the Middle East, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. War and reconstruction in Iraq must not result in an abandonment of our nation's responsibilities to the poor at home and abroad, or a diversion of essential resources from other humanitarian emergencies around the world.
At times like these, we turn to God and ask for wisdom and perseverance, courage and compassion, faith and hope. We Christians are called to be "sentinels of peace," the Holy Father reminds us. We join with him in urging Catholics to dedicate this Lenten season to reflection, prayer and fasting that the trials and tragedy of war will soon be replaced by a just and lasting peace.
__________________________________
Office of Social Development & World Peace
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194 (202) 541-3000
The bombing campaign against Japanese cities was somewhat better justified in that their war industry was spread throughout the cities. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused "medium sized" damage, compared to other air raids at the time, and certainly destroyed the war industries and port facilities of those cities. A nuke is as much a WMD as a fleet of bombers full of napalm.
If our opponent (Saddam Hussein, for example) decides to surround his legitimate military targets with civilians, their deaths are on his hands, not ours. There's a big difference between attacking your opponents' army (and accidentally killing civilians) and deliberately targeting civilians for the sole purpose of killing civilians. If one is engaged in the latter, one is engaged in mass murder. SH did precisely that to the Kurds in the early 1990s; it's one of his many crimes for which I'd like to see his head on a pike.
JR:
I believe that accurate reporting of the opinions of various religious leaders, both in the US and elsewhere is vital to the debate about the current world situation. This, of course, includes the current war against Saddam Hussein. The secular media have been singularly incompetent, if not deliberately dishonest, in reporting on this topic. I have, the past few days, made some small efforts to correct this deplorable situation.
Accepted. No offense taken, really. I've gotten a bit twitchy, lately.
Have you read this?
I read the Pope's words today and he did nothing of the sort. I'm used to the medias lies but it still burns me up every time they do it.
Praying the war is over soon. And I must admit I am looking forward to my beloved Marine Corps distinguishing themselves as usual.
Semper Fi
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
The misreporting or distortion in reporting or partial truth in reporting about the Catholic Church by the secular media is what Fr. Groeschel grouses about.
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