US Bishops: Military Intervention In Libya "Appears To Meet" Key Just-War Standard

http://www.catholicculture.org/ ^ | March 29,2011 | CatholicCulture

[Biggirl]

Military intervention in Libya, in the judgment of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), “appears to meet” the just-cause criterion of Catholic teaching on just war. The USCCB, however, cautioned that it has “refrained from making definitive judgments” in light of “many prudential decisions beyond our expertise.”

“In Catholic teaching the use of force must always be a last resort that serves a just cause,” Bishop Howard Hubbard of Albany, chairman of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace, wrote in a letter to National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon. “The Catechism of the Catholic Church limits just cause to cases in which ‘the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations [is] lasting, grave and certain’ (#2309). The just cause articulated in UN Security Council Resolution 1973 to demand ‘a ceasefire and a complete end to violence and all attacks against, and abuses of, civilians’ appears to meet this criterion in our judgment.”

[Biggirl]

About Libya and the "just war" theory.

[tsowellfan]

Somebody pretty high up in the catholic church was discussing things with me once. He's a conservative republican.

He noted many catholic nations have at some point in recent history got themselves ruled under some form of dictatorship. He wondered if maybe it was some kind of a dependency issue.

[tsowellfan]

That being said, I come from a family that is heavily catholic and I respect the Catholic Church highly even though I personally am not Catholic.

[Biggirl]

Maybe it could be also because of the issue of not really know what this “just war” theory is all about.

[Biggirl]

Thank-you for your good comment. God Bless.:)

[Cronos]

Sigh... let's see -- which are the "Protestant countries" in comparison?

The UK, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Australia, Finland, the Netherlands -- all are heavily socialist, some more than others

In the US no group has ever been in majority.

[tsowellfan]

He said "dictatorships" such as what we've seen in Chile, Eastern Europe.

Not socialist such as The UK, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Australia, Finland, the Netherlands -- all are heavily socialist, some more than others... hmmm... now that I look at these countries he may have had a point.

This man was the head of the Knights Of Colombus in one our states. He was not implying that it had anything to do with the beliefs of Catholics. He was just making a observation. Believe me, he's a strong catholic.

[Cronos]

Thank you -- apologies for the obnoxious tone, I do realize you meant it as a sociological comment not one related to doctrines.

Chile (Pinochet) was a reaction against communists taking over the government. Pinochet was a dictator who was good for his country (not so good for the hundreds he killed) -- look at Chile now.

Eastern Europe -- well, you can't blame Eastern Europe for being ruled by communism -- this was inevitable as the Soviet army marched in post WWII. in fact in poland the Armi Krajowe (National Army) tried fighting, but were crushed by the Soviets and crushed by the news that FDR and Churchill had sold them out (also the Polish units that fought for the UK were prevented from going to Poland to fight).

I don't think it's so much to do with religious means as in South America but it's more to do with Germanic culture. Specifically Germanic culture.

[veritas2002]

Let me see if I understand this ....

Reppublican wars = unjust
Democrat wars = just

Hmmmmmm.......

Ph, I get it now!

[tsowellfan]

I don't think it's so much to do with religious means as in South America but it's more to do with Germanic culture. Specifically Germanic culture

Yeah, that makes more sense.

[Biggirl]

The ironic thing is that, Chile is one of the few countries in South America that has not voted in communists or near communists.

Eastern Europe began to go free, starting in Poland because of a special trio, by the names of Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Pope John Paul II. The last of the three will be declared “Blessed” early in May.

[Cronos]

I think it stems from the Germanic traditions of community leaders -- exemplified by the Icelandic Althing. this was carried over by the Franks and more especially by the Anglo-Saxon Common Law. This was in contrast to Roman Law to some extent and even more so to the Napoleonic code which is followed in much of continental Europe.

Germany itself changed from this Germanic code after the Peace of Westphalia when (and no disrespect to Lutheran religious principles), the various princes got de facto independence and control not only of their people (who could not appeal to the Emperor) and of the Church.

the net result was that prior to the Peace of Westphalia, the people could appeal to two "distant" sources if the local lord or priest was bad -- to the Emperor and to the Pope. When the local Lord became temporal and spiritual head, it spelt trouble and the reduction of the people to serfdom.

if you check the statistics on serfs you will see that prior to these times, Germany had few to no serf, with a lot of Imperial (i.e independent) cities and bishoprics, but prior to this, serfdom spread, even to places that had never had it before.

England was saved from this because it retained a central leadership (the King), so people were not utterly crushed under their local lord and also because of the growth of London, destroying the local Lords abilities which were lost by the end of the War of the Roses.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

This Catholic “just war” concept is dangerous nonsense. It really doesn't relate to whether the president is Democrat or Republican. Rather, the doctrine's focus is on whether we are protecting the weak and helpless against aggressors who can't otherwise be stopped. It has nothing to do with national interest and, in fact, prosecuting a war in the national interest seems to be a negative in the “just war” analysis.

The bottom line is that the Catholic Church has no army and isn't asking its population to risk its lives so they can approach this from a dangerously theoretical perspective. Its nice to help persecuted people but that alone is no reason to go to war. National interest is, whether or not it results in a so-called “just war.”

[cranked]

The idiots are wrong as to Libya fitting “just war” standards, period. =.=

[Cronos]

note — the Church did not say Go to War. in fact it’s just the bishops talking. The problem is that there are many anti-Catholics who criticize the Church for not speaking up when the US goes to war.

[Biggirl]

For your gentle correction, if you believe it is dangerous nonsense, why has it lasted for so long, going back to the days of St. Augustine?

[Biggirl]

That is the problem, it is darn if you do, darn if you don’t.

[jersey117]

But Iraq did not? Saddam actually gassed women and children to death. He clearly violated UN resolutions and after the anthrax attacks here in the US, he was the logical suspect. The hypocrisy gets my blood boiling.

[livius]

The bottom line is that these are the lefty USCCB bishops getting the last word in. All for “peace” as long as it’s a Republican government; all for whatever the Dems want when it’s a Dem government.

How they can make this qualify as a “just war” (for us to participate in) is beyond me, but logic was never their strong suit. With them, it’s all emotion and politics.

[G Larry]

Given that Saddam’s human rights atrocities were far worse than Gaddafey’s, I’ll consider this after the fact approval for our war in Iraq.