INBOX INSPIRATIONS
April 22, 2026
War – 1
Dear Friends,
In view of our country’s being at war with Iran and of other wars happening right now, it seems timely to devote some attention to our Catholic or Christian approach to war. Let’s be clear. Engaging in warfare is not just a political issue. It is a moral issue and we as people of faith need to take moral considerations into account in forming our conscience and judgments.
First, just for background, let’s look at some facts that show the inevitable tragedy of war.
In the Israel-Gaza war, as of early April, the best estimates say that approximately 75,000 Palestinians have been killed. At least half of this number were civilians. There were 1,200 Israelis killed in the original attack on October 7, 2023. These were mostly civilians (895). Between 1,500 and 2,000 Israeli soldiers have been killed during the war.
In the Russia-Ukraine war, the estimates state that to date 50,000 to 140,000 Ukrainian soldiers and 15,000 civilians have been killed. Another 390,000 soldiers and 35,000 civilians have been injured. Somewhere between 230,000 and 450,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, with another 800,000 injured.
In the United States-Iran war, 13 to 15 United States military have been killed to date. Several hundred have been wounded. Approximately 3,000 Iranians have been killed, including both combatants and civilians.
So, the above wars, with the large loss of human life and high numbers of injuries have led me to think about warfare from a moral perspective.
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.
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 Teaching.
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 April 29, I will look at the principles that constitute the Just War Teaching.
Fr. Michael Schleupner
The data above is derived from public sources.
The primary source for these columns is The Catechism of the Catholic Church.
April 29, 2026
War – 2
Dear Friends,
Last week’s edition of Inbox Inspirations introduced the Catholic 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 six 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. Diplomacy and negotiation must have been sincerely tried and have failed before resorting to war.
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.
Next week’s column will focus on the fifth and sixth conditions and some other reflections about just war.
Fr. Michael Schleupner
The primary source for the above is The Catechism of the Catholic Church.
May 6, 2026
War – 3
Dear Friends,
Last week’s edition of Inbox Inspirations presented four of the six conditions required for the moral justification of resorting to war. This column presents the other two principles or conditions that constitute the Catholic Just War Doctrine. These principles have, in effect, become part of the Doctrine, although they have been part of our Church’s moral thinking for a long time.
v 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.
v Finally, 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.
I want to add several additional points.
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. 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
The primary source for the above is The Catechism of the Catholic Church.
