The Just War theory has been around for centuries. Always used to justify a ‘just’ cause for which people – even innocent people in small countries – must be killed by big and strong countries – if at all they deemed it necessary to explain why they went off to kill. 

President Obama – another Nobel Peace Laureate – regrettably used this theory in his speech in Oslo and argued that the U.S. would abide by it as well as other parts of international law. 

But the only just war that could be imagined would be one fought by a small, weak party ruthlessly attacked by a large, brutal party – which would invoke the UN Charter’s stated right to self-defence.

By Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate

Isn’t it strange how war has always found legitimacy by some ‘thinkers’ or ‘moral’ philosophers?

Did you ever hear about just human rights violations? Just genocide? Just poverty? Just gender violence? Just destruction of Nature? Just child labour? – like “if only it’s proportional to the challenge we see and we try our best to follow some rules of the fighting it’s OK”?

Something very important happened a couple of weeks ago – missed of course by virtually all near-governmental media: 

Members of a three day event in Rome co-hosted by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the International Catholic Peace Movement Organization, Pax Christi, strongly called on Pope Francis:

‘To share with the world an encyclical on nonviolence and Just Peace; and on the Church to ‘no longer use or teach ‘just war theory’; and continue advocating for the abolition of war and nuclear weapons’.

One of the members was Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate, co-founder of The Peace People and TFF Associate.

Here is, in her own words, why this is so important for the human family. (see below *)

Let us hope that Pope Francis will continue to speak up and soon challenge the greatest real threats to our survival on earth: the militarism and nuclearism which so many political and opinion leaders in their convenient ignorance fail to address.

 

*

Nobel Peace Laureate, Mairead Maguire, co-founder of The Peace People and TFF Associate, says from Rome:

“I believe we are at an important and hopeful turning point in human history – from violence to nonviolence and from war to peace”

Laity and religious meeting in Rome appeal to Pope Francis to share with the world an encyclical on nonviolence and just peace and for the church to no longer use or teach ‘Just War theory’

It was a joy for me to join eighty people from around the world meeting in Rome 11-12th April, 2016, to contribute to the important discussion ‘Nonviolence and Just Peace Contributing to the Catholic Understanding of and Commitment to Nonviolence’.

Members of the three day event co-hosted by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the International Catholic Peace Movement Organization, Pax Christi, strongly called on Pope Francis ‘to share with the world an encyclical on nonviolence and Just Peace; and on the Church to ‘no longer use or teach ‘just war theory’; and continue advocating for the abolition of war and nuclear weapons’.

The statement of Appeal to the Pope also said:

‘We believe there is no ‘just war’. Too often the ‘just war theory’ has been used to endorse rather than prevent or limit war. Suggesting that a ‘just war’ is possible also undermines the moral imperative to develop tools and capacities for nonviolent transformation of conflict’.

The gathering in Rome consisted of lay people, theologians, members of religious congregations, priests and bishops from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania and the welcoming address was given by Cardinal Turkson of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, who read a Statement from Pope Francis.

The Final Statement entitled ‘An Appeal to the Catholic Church to re-commit to the Centrality of Gospel Nonviolence offers the visions and concrete proposals.

This was indeed a historic gathering and the participants made a brave and history-making call to Pope Francis and the Church. It calls upon Pope Francis to give strong spiritual Leadership to the world’s Christians and reject war for peace and nonviolence.

We are all conscious of the growing militarization of our societies and countries and the myth being perpetrated that militarism, nuclear weapons and war, are acceptable.

I hope that Pope Francis calls Catholics not to join the military and so reminds them that killing cannot be with Christ.

I believe the misguided age of ‘blessing wars, militarism and killing’ must become abolished and the responsibility lies with Pope Francis and religious/spiritual leaders to be true shepherds of Peace and Nonkilling/nonviolence following the command of Jesus to love our enemies and not kill each other.

I hope also that Pope Francis will unambiguously proclaim that ‘Violence is always wrong, it is not the way of Jesus’ and reject militarism thereby calling upon Catholics not to join armies and take up arms to kill people, thus becoming a true peace church.

The Appeal is now in the hands of Pope Francis, and we can now work, fast, pray, for an Nonkilling/Nonviolence Encyclical – and hope that Pope Francis will continue to show courage, be brave and bold, a true Prophet, a loving Shepherd and a bright light in these dark days for all the human family, which he has so rightly describes as ‘this unique and terrible world war in instalments’.

The Peace People, 224 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 6GE, Northern Ireland
Phone: 0044 (0) 28 9066 346 Email: info@peacepeople.com

Permanent link to TFF PressInfo # 371
by Mairead Maguire