What does Catholic Christianity teach about war and peace?
The BibleThe holy book of Christians split into two sections: Old Testament and New Testament. does not give Christians a clear answer about whether war is permitted or not, but it has a lot to say about justiceWhen the right and fair thing is done., the sanctity of lifeThe belief that life is precious or sacred, because humans are made 鈥榠n God鈥檚 image鈥. For many religious believers, only human life holds this special status., the importance of resolving conflict and working for peace.
Many Catholics believe that war should be avoided if possible, and should only be undertaken if all efforts to resolve an issue by peaceful means have failed. Many Christians see war as the result of a failure to live by God's standards.
There are many promises in the Old TestamentThe first part of the Christian Bible which corresponds to the Hebrew Bible but is arranged differently. that war will come to an end in the perfect Kingdom of God.
In IsaiahA prophetic book within the Hebrew Bible. it states:
They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Catholics are told by St PaulFormerly known as Saul, a first-century convert to Christianity who went on to spread the news about Jesus Christ. in RomansRomans or The Epistle to the Romans is a letter by St Paul and is the sixth book in the New Testament. to support the state:
For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due.
Many Catholics think that fighting for your country is included among these 'dues'.
However, some Catholics are pacifistSomeone who is completely opposed to any kind of violence and will not participate in any aspect of war. and believe that war is never justified.
What do Catholics say about justice?
Catholics believe that justice comes from God and they should work for justice in whatever situation they find themselves. They will often use PsalmsA book in the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) containing songs of praise and worship. 82 from the Old Testament to justify this position:
Defend the rights of the poor and orphans; be fair to the needy and helpless. Rescue them from the power of evil men.
How is the sanctity of life relevant to war?
The Catholic Church teaches that God gave them life and that each human is made 'in the image of God'. Therefore the belief is that life is sacredHoly, related to God. Connected to a religious purpose. and should be protected. The Ten CommandmentsThe list of rules, revealed by God to Moses, found in the Old Testament books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. The Bible refers to them simply as 鈥榮ayings鈥 or 鈥榮tatements鈥. Also known as the Ten Sayings or the Decalogue. forbid murder and in MatthewA writer of one of the four gospels in the New Testament., Jesus tells his followers to:
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Some Catholics believe that there are times when the only way to defeat injustice or defend the idea of the sanctity of life is to declare war. Other Catholics think that they should only use peaceful and non-violent methods. Jesus told his disciples:
If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Jesus' peers would have understood a slap on the right cheek as a very serious insult. Jesus is telling his followers not to respond in the same way.
Just before his arrest, in the Gospel of LukeA writer of one of the four gospels in the New Testament., Jesus told his followers:
And let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy one.
This suggests that Jesus accepted the right to be able to defend yourself.