In the past two weeks, Pope Francis has made clear the Church’s movement away from the just war theory and toward embracing a theology, spirituality and practice of nonviolence, reflecting Jesus’s own preaching, teaching and practice. Ken Butigan published an excellent overview of this shift in his article here, “Is a great shift in the human journey at hand?” Read below for the direct quotes from Pope Francis (with thanks to Dan Moriarty of Pax Christi Metro DC and the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns for gleaning these):
“Wars are always unjust. Because the one who pays is the people of God. … Our hearts cannot help but cry in front of the children, the women killed, all the victims of the war. War is never the way.” ~in a March 16, 2022 video conference with Patriarch Kirill
“There was a time, even in our Churches, when people spoke of a holy war or a just war. Today we cannot speak in this manner. A Christian awareness of the importance of peace has developed.” ~in a March 16, 2022 video conference with Patriarch Kirill
“A war is always — always! — the defeat of humanity, always. We, the educated, who work in education, are defeated by this war, because [it is] ‘elsewhere’; we are responsible. There is no such thing as a just war: they do not exist!” ~in a March 18, 2022 address to the International Congress promoted by the Pontifical Foundation Gravissimum Educationis
Rejection of a militaristic approach to the conflict in the Middle East is imperative. May the strong and peaceful winds of a humanitarian approach be the guide from this day forward. Contact your representatives–beginning with Pres. Biden–to focus on de-escalation, humanitarian assistance, prisoner exchange, a ceasefire, stopping Israel’s plans for a ground incursion, and genuine work on the underlying causes of conflict in this area. Let us begin the peace process by living peace in our everyday lives. Awareness is crucial. Peace.