James,

Catholic moral teaching on killing is this:

• It is wrong to murder: to directly intend the killing of an innocent human being.
  
  
• It is not wrong, and can be a moral obligation, to defend one's life and the life of another, even if that involves the use of force and the death of the attacker. The death of the attacker is not the intention; rather, the defense of life is the moral intention.

As for war, the Church teaches that national governments have the duty to defend their people and the common good, and that war is morally permissible when it is just. War, to be just, must be:

• be declared by the persons with the authority for the common good (those to whom belongs the decision as to whether the cause is just)
• be used as a last resort (all peace efforts have failed)
• be a just cause (legitimate defense of the nation or community of nations), and
• use just means.

The conditions for a just war are as follows (According to the Catechism):

• the damage by the aggressor must be lasting, grave, and certain
• other means of stopping the damage must be not workable
• there must be a serious possibility of success
• the damage inflicted by war must not be foreseen to produce worse evils than the evils to be eliminated.

This analysis belongs to those whose duty it is to protect the common good.

As for individual participation in war: The government has the right to impose obligations on citizens that are necessary for self-defense. All citizens have the duty of the moral virtue of patriotism, to contribute to the common good of their nation. It is morally permissible, in Catholicism, to be a conscientious objector and refuse to bear arms, and nations must make provision for those people to contribute in some other way to the defense of the nation. Citizens also have the moral right to give their opinions on a war to their government.

As for the actions of warfare: there are moral rules for conflict. War does not justify every action.

• Non-combatants
• the wounded, and
• prisoners

must be respected and treated humanely. Actions that violate the universal principles of the law of nations, such as genocide and the destruction of whole cities or areas with their inhabitants, are war crimes . . . as are the orders that command such actions.

The deliberate targeting of the innocent by terrorism is a grave violation of justice. Though a crime against natural law, it is not strictly speaking a war crime, because there is no formal war, as terrorism is a non-legal attempt at warfare, often financially sponsored by governments but not directly engaged in by national armies.

We must pray for our enemies, and avoid hatred for them, even when at war. We must work to avoid war, according to the Catechism, because of the evils and injustices that accompany all war.

Soldiers are servants of the security and freedom of nations who contribute to the common good. War is the occasion for many acts of nobility and selfless virtue, including the greatest love of all: to lay down your life for others.

Mary Ann

James,

At first sight, some of Jesus' teaching would clearly seem to shun all acts of violence, especially when he said, when someone strikes your left cheek, offer him your right as well, and love your enemies. but we must be careful that we don't take from some of these statements inferences that weren't intended. The inference that, Jesus taught me all fighting is wrong . . . isn't warranted, despite the fact that some Christians believe so. Likewise, it may seem odd that Catholics honor both non-aggressive Christian Martyrs, who died at the hands of oppressors (such as those in the Roman Coliseum), and aggressive Soldiers in war. The apparent contradiction can be understood when certain principles are applied.

When Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek he was making it understood that no amount of personal sacrifice was too great to witness to the Gospel. He himself proved that when he laid down his own life and also said for others there was no greater gift than to lay down own life for a friend.

When he taught us this he was not, however, teaching us that the responsibility to protect others was to be abrogated. A father is still obliged to protect his children, or his family, from harm. He is not obliged to protect himself, except for the sake of his family. Because we are a communal people, this responsibility extends beyond the family household to the proximate community, and by further extension, to our nation or country. That is why Catholics honor those who fought in just wars, to protect the innocent from the brutal. World War II is certainly understandable in this context, though other wars invoke much more debate. This being said, the individual must obey his conscience and not simply offer blind obedience to a nation that could potentially act unjustly and be an aggressor nation and not a protector. Many Germans invoked I was merely following orders as an excuse for what was determined to be war crimes and they were still prosecuted. The obligation to act justly still applies even during war.

Another way to look at it:

The Catholic view is not all killing is equivalent. Murder is always prohibited, but killing can be an undesired result of a necessary action to procure safety.

For example, if an intruder breaks into your home and seeks to harm your family by raping and killing your family members, you would be obligated (particularly as the head of household) to protect them from the imminent danger posed by the intruder. If you must kill him to prevent him from bringing harm to your household, there is no fault in doing so as long as your intent is not to end his life unnecessarily. Killing in this case is, in essence, a side effect of the desired result:

security for your household.

This is still true even when the action is wrought with powerful affectation or passion — that is simply the natural emotional output of our innate responses. We have certain fight or flight mechanisms built in. God made us this way, because safety is important. We would not be charged with the duty to uphold justice in any way if there were no recourse to enforcement:

• police departments
• courts
• jails
• trials, etc.

are all predicated on this principle. Justice requires good people to act in defense of the weak from evil people.

I hope you find this helpful as a starting point for thought. It certainly does not answer the rightness of every war, but I hope it give evidence to the Catholic rationale.

Peace,

Bob Kirby