Inbox Inspiration: September 17, 2025: Will It Ever End 1-5

 September 17, 2025

 

Will It Ever End – 1

 

Dear Friends,

The name of this column is the title of a statement issued by Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore on September 11. The violence in our country is serious. We must own up to it, talk about it, and do what we can to promote a respectful and peaceful way to deal with our disagreements and conflicts. Archbishop Lori gets us started with this and I am sharing here some of what he has said in his recent statement.  

 

The Archbishop begins:

“Recently, there has been a spate of political violence in our country. The slaying of two Minnesota legislators. Killing innocent children gathered for a school Mass in Minneapolis. The slaying of Charlie Kirk. The list goes on. It is endless and depressing. We ask: Will it ever end?”

The violence continues: 

“As these tragedies unfold, the responses are predictable. Calls for prayer are met with public ridicule. Politicians decry the extreme rhetoric for a few days but return to it as surely as night follows day. As calls for an end to violence multiply, in that same proportion it seems, do incidents of violence multiply. Will it ever end?”

 

We as Catholics can do something:

“What are we, as Catholics, to make of this? Do we have some magic formula, a wand to wave, that will calm the stormy waters of our culture, restore civility and minimize political violence to what are deemed ‘acceptable’ levels?

“…What if, as a community of faith, we united in making a difference?...Despite our political differences, there are things we can and should do together.    

 

First: Pray. Take this seriously and don’t just say that’s nice, but… 

“First is to pray for unity and peace, both foreign and domestic. Writing these words, I can almost hear the chant of the Greek chorus, ‘What good does that do?’ Prayer, after all, doesn’t usually result in God’s direct intervention in human affairs. Isn’t it ineffectual? No, it isn’t. We pray not to change God’s mind but to have God change ours. We pray so that God’s grace will enlarge our hearts in love, including love of enemies. The Lord could not have been more clear. If we want his forgiveness we need to forgive others. Prayer changes hearts and there are a lot of hearts that need to be changed, including mine.”

 

I will continue with the Archbishop’s statement and more on this topic next week.       

Fr. Michael Schleupner

September 24, 2025

 

Will It Ever End – 2

 

Dear Friends,

Last week (the column of September 17) I began sharing some of the content of a recent statement by Archbishop Lori on the violence in our country. After some introductory observations, the Archbishop asks: “What are we, as Catholics, to make of this?...What if, as a community of faith, we united in making a difference?” The Archbishop has three recommendations. The first is prayer and I shared his comments on that last week. Here are his other recommendations. 

 

“Second, as a Church, we can demonstrate something fundamental to democracy: how to hash out disagreements without resorting to violence. How sad when we Catholics attack one another, aping the language of our ideologically divided culture. If the Church is itself the sacrament of unity and charity, then we need to curb our speech, and more. The ‘more’ is something called synodality – conversation in the Holy Spirit. Synodality is not about changing the Church’s teaching but about learning to listen to one another. It is not easy.”

That word synodality is rather new to most of us. In truth, it is an ancient word and the Church lived synodality especially in its earliest centuries. Pope Francis has re-introduced this. The idea is that we set our direction as a Church through communicating and listening to one another, through discussion and discernment rooted in prayer. Pope Francis placed the Church in this direction and Pope Leo XIV has reaffirmed it. The Archbishop is calling us to embrace this and by doing that, we will also be modelling a good path for our country. 

 

The Archbishop’s third recommendation is:

“…constructive action. For all our problems, the Church everywhere remains an engine of charity and a champion of justice. Consider, for example, two initiatives. First, our local efforts to promote mental health, to recognize the signs of mental illness, and to help link those in need to resources. Second, consider our annual gun-buyback initiative. More than 1,000 guns have been removed from our streets. Much more is underway, but you get the idea. Prayer leads to action.” 

 

Archbishop Lori concludes his statement on a note of realism and hope.

“When will it end? The reign of sin will not be fully vanquished until the end of time. In the meantime, with God’s grace, we can make a critical difference.” 

   

I will continue with more on this topic next week.       

Fr. Michael Schleupner

October 1, 2025

 

Will It Ever End – 3

 

Dear Friends,

In the last two editions of Inbox Inspirations (September 17 and 24), I shared much of the content of a statement on violence that Archbishop Lori issued on September 12. Today I want to repeat the introductory part of that statement and then share the intercessory prayers that the Archdiocese recommended at that time. 

 

The statement, entitled Will It Ever End, begins:

“Recently, there has been a spate of political violence in our country. The slaying of two Minnesota legislators. Killing innocent children gathered for a school Mass in Minneapolis. The slaying of Charlie Kirk. The list goes on. It is endless and depressing. We ask: Will it ever end?”

   

The Archbishop’s statement was followed with some proposed intercessory prayers for the pastors to use at parish Masses. Of course, these can also be used in our personal, private prayer. 

 

v For an end to the violence perpetrated by harsh words, deadly weapons, or cold indifference. May our homes, our nation, and countries around the world become havens of peace, let us pray to the Lord.

v For those victims and those affected by gun violence in our communities, that they may find healing and support, let us pray to the Lord.

v For the wisdom to receive the stories and experiences of those different from us and to respond with respect, let us pray to the Lord.

v For the strength to teach our children how to resolve differences non-violently and respectfully, and the courage to model it in our own behavior, let us pray to the Lord.

v For our faith community, that we may respond boldly to the Holy Spirit's call to act together to end violence, let us pray to the Lord.

 

Next week I plan to continue this series Will It Ever End with some comments on vengeance or retaliation.       

Fr. Michael Schleupner

 

 October 8, 2025

 

Will It Ever End – 4         

 

Dear Friends,

Will the violence ever end? Since the beginning of this series, there have been at least two more mass shootings in our country.  A shooter opened fire on a church of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Michigan. Four people were killed, and eight others were injured. Another shooter killed three people and injured five others at a waterfront bar in North Carolina. The violence continues. Will it ever end?

 

One factor that I do not want to ignore as a cause of violence is vengeance. The dictionary defines vengeance as punishment inflicted in retaliation for an injury or offense. Injuries and offenses are real. They can be physical, verbal, or emotional. 

However, vengeance, getting back at a person is not the way to deal with the injury. In fact, it continues or even heightens the violence. It does not bring peace or real satisfaction to the one offended. It is morally wrong. 

[Please note: I am talking here about one person taking vengeance on another person or group. I am not talking about nations engaging in war. On that topic, consult my Inbox Inspirations of August 27, September 3 and 10, 2025. You can access these through the link below.] 

 

I look to Jesus for my example and teacher. For example:

 

v As soldiers were about to arrest Jesus and inflict the ultimate violence on him, “his disciples realized what was about to happen, and they asked, ‘Lord, shall we strike with a sword?’ And one of them struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said in reply, ‘Stop, no more of this!’ Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him.” (Luke 22:49-51)

v And then as he was being crucified, “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.’” (Luke 23:34)

 

Jesus was consistent even in his dying when he was enduring the ultimate kind of violence. He refrained from vengeance or retribution. He taught us to do the same. Such was his strength. And yes, this is strength – when we are in control of ourselves with the grace of God. Exacting retribution and taking vengeance is weakness – a sign of inner, personal, spiritual, moral weakness. 

We are called to find our strength in Jesus. This will help us to end the cycle of violence and not cause or continue or heighten it.  

 

More on this – Will It Ever End – next week.      

Fr. Michael Schleupner

 

October 15, 2025

 

Will It Ever End – 5         

 

Dear Friends,

As this series Will It Ever End has continued, I began thinking about possible causes of violence. That has led me to think about fear and anger. These, like other emotions, are neither good nor bad in themselves. The crucial thing is what we do with them, how we manage them, how we express them. 

 

Here are some examples of fear. We might be afraid of 

·      being bullied at school or being mugged in a rough part of the city 

·      losing our job and not being able to make it financially

·      not having enough money for retirement

·      the violence in our society 

·      the change in cultural and moral values

·      climate change and extreme weather patterns

·      the weakening of our democratic institutions

·      the strengthening of central government.  

 

The fears mentioned above are only some examples. However, these and other fears can lead to various kinds of anger. We might feel angry about

·      immigrants because we see them as threatening our jobs

·      the government for doing nothing about gun control 

·      the people who favor some kind of gun control 

·      big corporations that pay enormous salaries to top executives and not enough to the ordinary worker

·      tax policies that favor the rich

·      government programs that give too much to the poor

·      the LGBTQ+ push for equal rights

·      being discriminated against because of being part of the LGBTQ+ community. 

 

Again, these are only some possible examples of anger. When we are afraid, we don’t feel in control and we do feel a certain powerlessness. That’s why fear can lead to anger which may seem to give a sense of control and a target to fight against. This anger may lead us to constructive action like a peaceful protest or advocacy for good legislation. Or it may lead us to destructive action like discrimination against or scapegoating whole groups of people. 

In brief, anger can lead to violence. That’s why it is so important for us to be aware of our emotions, especially fear and anger, and carefully discern what to do with them.   

 

I hope to pick up on the last sentence and conclude this series on violence next week.      

Fr. Michael Schleupner

 

Inbox Inspiration: August 27, 2025: Just War 1-3

 

INBOX INSPIRATIONS

August 27, 2025

 

Just War – 1

 

Dear Friends,

The continued wars between the Israelis and the Palestinians in Gaza and between Russia and Ukraine have led me to reflect on the morality of war. Different sources give slightly different numbers, but the current conflicts have taken the lives of many and injured many others. 

For example, in the initial attack of October 7, 2023, 1,195 Israelis were killed, and of that number, 895 were civilians. In addition to those numbers, to date, 898 Israeli soldiers have been killed. On the other side, 61,000 Palestinians have been killed. Half of these were women and children and 8,900 of them were fighters.

The full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine began in February 2022. So far, 45,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and another 390,000 have been injured. There have been 13,000 civilian deaths with another 35,000 civilians injured. For Russia, estimates range from 118,000 to 250,000 military personnel killed with another 800,000 wounded.

The continuation of these wars, coupled with the large loss of human life and high numbers of injuries have led me to think about warfare from a moral perspective. This is my focus here. 

 

The Church has recognized that sometimes, regrettably, engaging in warfare is necessary and moral. The Church has recognized the need for public authorities to provide for national defense and even require individuals to participate in this. It is important to note here that we have also taught respect for those who in conscience refuse to bear and use weapons. The Church calls for these persons to serve the human community in some other way. 

If engaging in warfare seems necessary, the Church has established certain principles that are to be followed in arriving at this decision and in conducting the warfare. These principles have been developed over centuries and find their roots in the theological reflections especially of Saint Augustine (354-430) and Saint Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274).  These moral principles are called the Just War Doctrine.     

It is important to emphasize that the Church sees evils and injustices inevitably arising from warfare. It teaches that all governments and citizens are obliged to work for the avoidance of war. Next week, in the Inbox Inspirations of September 3, I will look at the principles that constitute the Just War teaching.  

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner

 

Primary source for the above is The Catechism of the Catholic Church. 

September 3, 2025

 

Just War – 2

 

Dear Friends,

Last week’s edition of Inbox Inspirations introduced the Catholic Church teaching about war. The Church acknowledges that sometimes war seems necessary. However, this is an extremely serious matter because evils and injustices will always arise from warfare. For this reason, over many centuries, the Church has developed what is called the Just War Doctrine. There are four essential conditions, all of which must be met, for warfare to be justified.

But first, we need to be clear that the Church is teaching about defensive wars – a country resorting to military action for its legitimate defense. The Church never calls an aggressive act of warfare morally justified. An aggressive act of warfare always seems to be immoral and not justified.  

Having said that, here are the principles for the moral justification of resorting to war. 

 

v The damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or nations must be lasting, grave, and certain. So, the damage that would be or is being inflicted will have enduring negative consequences. These must be serious, like the subjugation or even extermination of people. And it must be clear that these consequences will result if the aggressor is allowed to go unchecked. 

v All other means to put an end to the aggression must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective. For example, diplomacy and negotiation must have been tried and failed.

v There must be serious prospects of success. In other words, engaging in war as a defense of one’s country must have a definite possibility of succeeding in deterring the aggressor and the evils that would be inflicted. This principle seems to flow from the reality that engaging in war, even if morally justified, will bring loss of life and human suffering. So, it is worth doing this only if there is a serious prospect of success in warding off a greater evil.

v The fourth principle follows from what precedes it. The use of arms must not produce evils that are graver than the evil to be avoided. The power of modern destructive weaponry enters into the evaluation of this condition for a just war.    

 

These reflections will be continued in nest week’s Inbox Inspirations, September 10.

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner

 

Primary source for the above is The Catechism of the Catholic Church. 

September 10, 2025

 

Just War – 3

 

Dear Friends,

The last two issues of Inbox Inspirations (August 27 and September 3) have looked at the Catholic teaching on Just War. You can access these through the link below. Today’s column has some additional reflections on this topic.

 

In a just war, prisoners must be treated humanely, and care must be provided for the wounded. To the fullest extent possible, the loss of life must be limited. The protection of life must remain a guiding principle. 

Additionally, in a just war, non-combatants or civilians must not be targeted. There must be respect for the lives of private citizens. Any act of war that is directed at cities or other areas where many people live is immoral and merits condemnation. This must be especially emphasized today with the availability of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons. 

So, even if engaging in war is justified, there are these additional limits and moral principles.    

 

Finally, Pope Saint John Paul II expressed deep concern about the Just War doctrine and the existence and possible use of nuclear weapons. While he never rejected the Just War doctrine, he expressed skepticism about its applicability in today’s world. He stated that the threat or use of nuclear weapons contradicts the moral principles of 1) proportionality (that there must be some proportion between the good to be achieved and the evils to be allowed in warfare) and 2) discrimination (that non-combatants or civilians must not be targeted). He saw the Church as needing to be a prophetic voice by insisting on non-violent conflict resolution, dialogue, and diplomacy.  

Pope Benedict XVI reiterated Pope Saint John Paul’s thoughts about the Just War doctrine and nuclear weapons. He added that the nature of modern warfare, especially with weapons of mass destruction, makes it nearly impossible to satisfy the traditional conditions for a just war. Furthermore, he questioned whether the strategy of nuclear deterrence can be morally justified any longer. 

Pope Francis embraced the teachings of his two predecessors and appears to have taken them a step farther. He called into question even the possession of nuclear weapons as part of a strategy of deterrence and called upon all world leaders to pursue disarmament. The Catechism of the Catholic Church raises the same concern about policies of deterrence and the accumulation of arms. 

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner

 

Primary source for the above is The Catechism of the Catholic Church. 

Also, various statements by the three Popes who are mentioned.