The Quest for Peace Part II

Last week I discussed what peace is and what it is not in Part I of The Quest for Peace.  We seek peace, the peace that is a fruit of Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  We need to let the Holy Spirit lead us, not our human desires, not sins like greed and desire for power.  Today I would like to discuss the nature of war today. 

Many human beings are not given their proper rights and dignity.  Some are led to fight for what is their due.  The problem here is “Violence destroys what it claims to defend: the dignity, the life, the freedom of human beings” (Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (Social Compendium).  Libreria Editrice Vaticana/United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:  Washington, DC 2005. Also available online at   https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html. 496).  Rather, “War is a “scourge” and is never an appropriate way to resolve problems that arise between nations, “it has never been and it will never be”, because it creates new and still more complicated conflicts” (Social Compendium, 497, emphasis in original).  War treats the symptoms that go against peace without necessarily addressing the real causes.

What are some of the reasons for war?  The aggressor in the war may be seeking to change political their geographic boundaries in long disputes or they may be seeking to expand their powers to expand their power and influence.  For the former, there may be questions of justice in the boundaries while the latter is rooted in greed and power.  War can be a response to hunger, persecution, and oppression.

Unfortunately, some claim to wage war in the name of religion.  It is not my intent here to debate religious wars.  So, I will simply remind everyone that Jesus tells us to love your enemies (see Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:27-36).

Wars of aggression are not moral.  On the other hand, we have the right to defend ourselves when we have exhausted all other options.  Nonviolent options can include sanctions as means of pressure (Social Compendium, 507).  At the heart of nonviolent means is diplomacy.  Diplomacy involves negotiations, which may involve give and take, but this “give and take” is not the same as expecting the less powerful party to give into the demands of the aggressor.  Might does not make right.  This includes third party countries who try to serve as an intermediary for peace.  One might see good in leveraging their power for a ceasefire, but we must remember peace is more than just a ceasefire.

The proper goal and methodology of diplomacy is described in the Social Compendium, “There is reason to hope … that by meeting and negotiating, men may come to discover better the bonds that unite them together, deriving from the human nature which they have in common; and that they may also come to discover that one of the most profound requirements of their common nature is this: that between them and their respective peoples it is not fear which should reign but love” (499).

Self-Defense and the “Little Guy”
The right to self-defense is a commonly accepted right.  With this right, we receive a duty to protect less powerful nations against aggressors (see Social Compendium, 499, emphasis in original.  cf. 504).

When coming to the aid of another people, a more powerful nation should be careful not to act with pride (for pride is a sin).  Again, might does not make right.  One must consider the third criteria of Just War Theory, legitimate authority.  It is better to build a coalition as was done against Iraq in the early 1990’s against Iraq than to act unilaterally. 

Pride is a sin for individuals and for nations.  The third-party country coming to aid a people should not let its own pride lead them to think they can dictate conditions of surrender.  Justice (see Part I) must determine the path to peace, not what a third party wants for themselves.

What must be at the center of the motives of assisting less powerful nations is loving our neighbor and following the example of Jesus who was moved with pity at the needs of the crowds (for example, see Matthew 14:14).

As the Social Compendium says, “A war of aggression is intrinsically immoral. In the tragic case where such a war breaks out, leaders of the State that has been attacked have the right and the duty to organize a defence even using the force of arms” (500).  However, our self-defense must be measured in accord with Just War Theory.  (for examples of applying this to real situations see my blog articles in the category Just War Theory – Real Life Application).

The Arms Race
The Social Compendium states, “The requirements of legitimate defence justify the existence in States of armed forces, the activity of which should be at the service of peace” (502. emphasis in original).  We must regularly ask ourselves if our armed forces exist for conquest or to promote peace.

We must always consider when it seems military action for self-defense is necessary what we are trying to accomplish.  Are we seeking peace or are we seeking to destroy a people?  As the Social Compendium states, “Attempts to eliminate entire national, ethnic, religious or linguistic groups are crimes against God and humanity itself, and those responsible for such crimes must answer for them before justice” (506, emphasis in original).  Like it or not, even the people who are the aggressors in a war have a right to exist in peaceful ways.

There are those who think the best way to ensure peace is to be the most powerful nation.  They think the threat of this nation’s power can ensure peace.  This is not real peace (see Part I).  True and lasting peace cannot be dictated by military might for “The arms race does not ensure peace. Far from eliminating the causes of war, it risks aggravating them” (Social Compendium, 508, emphasis in original).  This power can pride and temptation to think one’s power makes them “right.”  It does not.  What is right and just comes from God, not from military (or financial or political power).

Weapons of Mass Destruction
In the arms race, one seeks the most powerful weapons.  This can include weapons of mass destruction.  Such weapons can bring a quick end to war but not true peace.  The loss of life, homes, and nations can be too great.  For example, anti-personnel landmines left behind can kill innocent people long after a war is over.  Biological and chemical warfare can kill more innocent people than those fighting in a war (see Social Compendium 509-510).

Terrorism
In war, innocent people should never be targeted but are often killed or injured as collateral damage.  With terrorism, innocent people are often the intended target. 

The Social Compendium states, Terrorism is one of the most brutal forms of violence traumatizing the international community today; it sows hatred, death, and an urge for revenge and reprisal” (513, emphasis in original).  It continues, “The targets of terrorist attacks are generally places of daily life and not military objectives in the context of a declared war. Terrorism acts and strikes under the veil of darkness, with no regard for any of the rules by which men have always sought to set limits to conflicts” (513).

Thus, “Terrorism is to be condemned in the most absolute terms. It shows complete contempt for human life and can never be justified, since the human person is always an end and never a means. Acts of terrorism strike at the heart of human dignity and are an offence against all humanity; “there exists, therefore, a right to defend oneself from terrorism” (514, emphasis in original).  Still, we are no better than the terrorists if our response is not moral.  Our response to terrorism must follow the concepts found in Just War Theory. 

What We Can Do to Promote Peace
The Social Compendium concludes its chapter on peace with the following:

• “The Church teaches that true peace is made possible only through forgiveness and reconciliation” (517, emphasis in original).  Forgiveness is not easy in war but peace cannot be achieved without it.
• “Mutual forgiveness must not eliminate the need for justice and still less does it block the path that leads to truth. On the contrary, justice and truth represent the concrete requisites for reconciliation.” (518, emphasis in original).
• “It is through prayer that the Church engages in the battle for peace” (519).  We must pray that the hearts of all, including our own, be changed to give our hearts over to our heavenly Father’s Will.  Only in doing this can true peace be achieved.
• “Peace expresses itself only in peace, a peace which is not separate from the demands of justice, but which is fostered by personal sacrifice, clemency, mercy and love” (520).

Thus, if we want peace, we must work for justice.  Pope Paul VI said this in his message for the Day of Peace, January 1, 1972.  In “Spes Non Confundit” Pope Francis writes, “If we really wish to prepare a path to peace in our world, let us commit ourselves to remedying the remote causes of injustice, settling unjust and unpayable debts, and feeding the hungry” (16).  

Let us pray for the Lord’s help, that through his justice we are lead to peace.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff