Just War Doctrine

[SSTeacher]

This is a very good website with lots of helpful information for inquirers (like myself) and I’m glad I found it. I recommend it to any seekers who may see this post. Look around the site, why don’t you? It provides food for thought at the very least.

I’ve been in the library reading about Catholic teaching with regard to the Just War. This is a question I’ve struggled with for a long time. Basically, the Catholic Church teaches pacifism – that a Catholic should not love violence. However, the Church also teaches that a Catholic should not be afraid to take up arms if there is no other way to check the evil.

Well, given the official teaching of the Catholic Church, my query is this. Can a person who is an unqualified pacifist i.e. he or she believes that killing is wrong under any circumstances whatsoever be/remain a Catholic? I mean, if the Catholic Church identified a particular war as just, the unqualified pacifist would be conflicted – as would any Catholic who had already decided that the war in question was not just.

Apologies if this question has already been addressed in this or another forum. If that’s the case, please point me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance for any help, guidance and clarification,

Grace and peace,
Mick

 

[FightingFat]

Can a person who is an unqualified pacifist i.e. he or she believes that killing is wrong under any circumstances whatsoever be/remain a Catholic? I mean, if the Catholic Church identified a particular war as just, the unqualified pacifist would be conflicted – as would any Catholic who had already decided that the war in question was not just.

Yes you’d be fine of course. I suppose in a situation like WWII, you might want to help in some capacity- like become a field medic or something similar, but just war doctrine certainly doesn’t mean you have to fight.

Greetings from the old country by the way!