I was pleased to read the interview with Cardinal McElroy in the March 12 edition of the Catholic Standard in which he talked about the Catholic position on war. He clearly articulated our belief that war is “always a defeat for humanity,” as St. Pope John Paul II said, and that certain criteria must be met for a war to be morally legitimate.
I was reminded of the horrors of war last week when I went to Dallas for a meeting. The trip included a gathering of St. John’s graduates at a new museum dedicated to the men and women who have received our nation’s Medal of Honor.
It was a moving experience. Seeing and learning about these courageous men and women made me realize how small my life can feel compared to their service to our country and our world.
The museum itself was impressive and made the experience even more moving. The National Medal of Honor Museum was dedicated a year ago and is modern in every sense. It features artificial intelligence that enables visitors to have lifelike conversations with these veterans and to hear their stories.
This powerful experience made me think even more about the wars around the world and the latest tensions involving Iran. They bring a sadness that we as a world still need to resort to weapons – terrible weapons – to try to force our will on others.
I believe strongly in our country and the incredible gift of democracy. I also believe in defending our nation. And I believe wars can be just.
But I do worry about a couple of things.
As for the war itself, I worry that we are caught up in a conflict that seems to be morally questionable at best and morally illegitimate at worst, according to our Catholic principles.
What concerns me most is the suffering of innocent people. We have leaders on all sides – from multiple countries around the world – who decide to make war. They want what they want, and they use weapons ranging from massive missiles to small drones to enforce their will.
That results in suffering all over our world, from the men and women fighting the battles to innocent civilians. We see heartbreaking suffering in Gaza, Ukraine, and now Iran and other parts of the Middle East because of our fallen world’s inability to talk, listen, and find solutions to our many problems.
It saddens me that so many people die – those in the war and those who are killed because of misplaced strikes or close proximity to bombs and missiles. These are children, parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and neighbors who are torn away from their loved ones in devastating ways.
I think about how I would feel if a school my nieces and nephews attended were bombed. Or a neighborhood where my cousins lived was destroyed. Or a church that was a holy place for my family was damaged or decimated. How could that not break one’s heart?
As we prepare to celebrate Easter, I pray for resurrection. I pray for eternal life with God for all of us, but also the ability to rise above our world’s tendencies to solve problems through violence and death. That goes against the very fiber of our humanity and our creation in the very image of God.
I am saddened this Easter by the reality of war around the world. I’m saddened by the deaths of innocent people. I’m saddened by all the lives upended by war and destruction.
I am also hopeful. I believe fervently in the gift of resurrection and God’s love for humanity. Jesus tells us: “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33)
That gives me hope that we can rise above the struggles and difficulties of this world and do our part to bring peace to ourselves, our families, and a world that desperately needs it.
In the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, may we all think about how we can be instruments of peace. Let us pray fervently that God will give peace to all people – a peace that begins in our own hearts, our own families, our own communities, and our own country.
And may that peace spread to all nations. Let’s find a way to put down our weapons and talk to each other about the gifts of love and peace.
“One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (Isaiah 2:4)
(Msgr. John Enzler serves as the mission advocate of Catholic Charities of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and is a chaplain at his alma mater, Saint John’s College High School in Washington. He writes the Faith in Action column for the archdiocese’s Catholic Standard and Spanish-language El Pregonero newspapers and websites.)
