Terrorism and Just War Doctrine

From the United States to North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen and throughout the world, let us "strive to create conditions of life worthy of people redeemed by Christ."

Let us as a country increase humanitarian aid throughout the world and protect the persecuted from murder and brutality such as that going on in Iraq today. Let us respond militarily if the situation meets the standard of the Catholic just-war doctrine. Pope Francis and the Vatican have made it clear that the mass murder being committed by Islamic State terrorists meets that standard.

The brutality and murder by the evil terrorists in Iraq upon the people is one that plainly demands full action by the United Nations and the United States. By refraining to act we condone the acts of the terrorist. For our government to refrain from standing between Evil and the people of Iraq and other countries while stopping to consider the political impact upon the Democrat or Republican party or winning the next election or waiting to have meetings to consider whether or not to act reduce us as a country to sins of omission which are as great as the terrorist. If our failure to act results in the murder of one person in Iraq, are we not also guilty of murder?

My Christian brothers and sisters, we have much to pray about. Look to Pope Francis for direction during these troubling times.

JUST WAR DOCTRINE

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the just war doctrine:

2309. The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration. The gravity of such a decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of moral legitimacy. At one and the same time:

- 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.

These are the traditional elements enumerated in what is called the "just war" doctrine.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a5.htm