John Paul II Criteria on Just War Not Supported by Catholic Doctrine

HOT TOPICS: War

Moral Criteria for Just War
and the Progressivist Utopia of Peace

Atila Sinke Guimarães

Part I

The lack of doctrinal foundation in the discussion about the war with Iraq that just finished has been impressive. Even from Vatican representatives, who so violently clamored for peace, practically no serious or valid argument was presented with regard to either natural law or Catholic Morals. It is sad to have to say this, because the Holy See is supposedly the lighthouse whose mission is to orient Catholics in storms with that sovereign and divine impartiality that characterized Our Lord Jesus Christ. No, unfortunately, what came from the Vatican was a totally biased position against war – no matter what – and against the United States, above all. A new crusade against the US and Capitalism is in course. A Crusade preached by those who “excommunicated” the old Crusades.

Inundated by partial presentations of facts and lacking a secure doctrinal orientation coming from the Vatican, the lay Catholic thus is obliged to look for that forgotten doctrine. This is what I did, without pretending to have a special authority.

It took me a while to sort through the main authors on the topic and select the more important ones. Here is the result of my research on Catholic Moral doctrine and its applications to the present day war. I hope it will help my reader as it helped me.

Posted May 27, 2003

This article continues in Guimarães recently published book War, Just War

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