Peace and War (idea)

Social Teachings of the Catholic Church: Peace and War

"Evils and injustice accompany all war", and because of this, we must strive to free ourselves "from the ancient bondage of war."

Thus, all governments must strive to avoid war. However, governments also have the right to "legitimate self defense", if all efforts at peace have failed.

The Church outlines the criteria for a legitimate self defense, the so called "just war doctrine":

• the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
• all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
• there must be serious prospects of success;
• the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.

"The arms race is one of the greatest curses on the human race and the harm it inflicts on the poor is more than can be endured"

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Condensed from The Catechism of the Catholic Church
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/CDHN/fifth.html#SAFEGUARDING