Warning! It's quite the long post we have here!
Quo itis, Catholici Americani?
Imagine, if you will, Gentle Reader, your father, with all his strengths and weaknesses. If your father was like mine, he did his best, he sacrificed, he protected, taught, and disciplined, but he was not perfect.
Now, imagine again, someone, maybe a family member, maybe a friend, maybe a complete stranger. This person begins to carp and criticize your father, not in a measured, charitable way, but in an ignorant and nasty manner, even using rough language in his description of his qualities or apparent lack thereof.
Would you, Gentle Reader, be offended? Would you respond with heart-felt vigour to the slurs and slander? Yes, you most likely would. No one would tolerate such calumnies heaped upon their father. Personally, I’d give the boor a hard punch in the nose! And yet…we do tolerate it.
It has been said that the only acceptable prejudice practiced in America is anti-Catholicism, which I think, is true. Anti-Catholicism has a long history on this continent, thanks to the bigotry imported by the English settlers, especially the ones in New England. It seems to come and go. In the 1840s and 1850s it was the foundation of the “Know-Nothings” and their nationalist party. In the early 1900s it was a staple for the Ku Klux Klan. It is far from dead today, despite our so-called progress and inclusive views.
Such bigotry is fuelled by ignorance. Most people who dislike or hate the Catholic Church do so because they think they know what the Church believes and teaches, when in fact, they know nothing of that truth. When one’s eyes and ears have been filled with the lurid tales of priests preying on children; when whispers of bishops fleecing the flocks to live in luxury; when myths of immense wealth hidden away in Vatican vaults; when such tripe is believed, it would be logical to hate such an institution and its members.
Sadly, we see it rear its ugly head most recently with President Trump’s whining complaints about Pope Leo XIV. Now, Gentle Reader, as you know, our Donald is not known for his wit, nor his mild temperament. Basically put, he’s a loose cannon with the mind of an angry teenager. Get on his bad side, for real or perceived reasons, and he will lay into you with fury. The President versus the Pope; all because the Pope has condemned war - along with a good many American bishops - and has asked for prayer, peace, and diplomatic dialogue.
My, oh my, what a radically liberal stand to take! I had to shake my head in disbelief, reading Trump’s tirade. I actually chuckled when Trump accused the Pope of being “weak on crime”, as if he were some mayor or governor. Poor Donald must have forgotten that he is talking about a head of state, one who is the Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City, not a minor elected municipal official. I’m not surprised, however. Our Donald is not a pious man, much less a practitioner or any particular religion.
What saddened me more is how Vice-President Vance quickly caved in, defending Trump’s tirade, and basically echoing the call for the Pope to “stay in his lane” and limit his comments to moral issues and look to what is happening in the Church, rather than national policies. That - from a Catholic! Methinks JD needs to sit down and study the catechism. Maybe it wasn’t well taught when he went through OCIA before entering the Catholic Church.
Now, you may well be asking, “Where is Father going with all of this?”. Well, I’ll tell you. I”d like to elucidate, albeit in a curtailed manner, what the moral principles and elements of faith are involved in this fracas.
Firstly, let’s start with what Catholics owe the Pope. We owe the Pope a religious submission of intellect and will, prayers, and respect as he is Vicar of Christ, successor of St. Peter, and Universal Shepherd of the Church. This includes adhering to his formal teachings in both the extraordinary and ordinary magisterium in teachings of faith and morals. Our obedience and loyalty to the Pope is not rooted in his being a temporal sovereign, but as the successor of St. Peter, our visible source of unity in the Church. We owe him our filial love and respect, as children to a father. Our prayers for him assist him in leading the Church on earth, and obtain from God the physical and moral strength he needs in his role as shepherd. The Pope’s non-magisterial statements do not require strict obedience or agreement, but they should be heard with openness and respect. In those matters, we may disagree with the Pope, but in a polite and respectful manner.
Right. So, have we seen this in our current administration? No. Granted, the administration is a mixed bag of religions, but still. One can disagree, and do so politely and respectfully. The vitriol spewed against Pope Leo on social media is sickening, especially when it comes from self-described Catholics.To me, it is simply evidence that ignorance reigns, and bigotry is alive and well in all too many hearts and minds. It’s sad to think that even Attila the Hun treated Pope St. Leo the Great better than Trump has treated Pope Leo XIV, but that’s our Donald! Diplomacy and politeness are not elements of his administration.
Now, all of this is over the current war against Iran. If you know me, you know that I am no admirer or fan of Islam. It is an evil and false religion, and has been the cause of much suffering in Europe, Africa, and Asia since its ill-begotten start in the Seventh Century. Iran is currently under a radical Islamist regime. As both you and I know, its government loathes two countries in particular - the United States, and Israel. Iran has used and is using its weapons against both countries now - thanks to Bibi drawing us into this conflict. Iran has nuclear ambitions, not just for powering electrical grids, but for weaponry. That is well known too.
Now, as to the morality of the current war and how it is being waged, we must look to what is called the “Just War Theory”. This moral framework traces it’s roots back to the great bishop and doctor of the Church, St. Augustine of Hippo-Regius. It provides strict conditions under which war may be waged, emphasizing that war is to be a last resort, and only used for legitimate defence against unjust and grave damage. So, let’s apply it to the current situation, shall we?
First, there must be a just cause - a lasting and grave cause must be occurring . It cannot be a hypothetical threat, but a real threat. Does Iran qualify? Ehhhh, maybe. They have funded terrorist organizations such as Hamas & Hezbollah, they have lobbed missiles at Israel, so there is that. They might, maybe, perhaps, have some technology for nuclear weapons, but we’re still not sure, so let’s say that in regards to the just cause, it’s 50-50. Yes, yes, yes, it’s a nasty regime which kills its own people with gusto, but that is not an external threat to other nations, so we can’t lump that in with this condition.
Secondly, war must be declared by a legitimate authority. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, Gentle Reader, but here in the United States, it is Congress which has authority to declare war, not the president. However, that’s not been done since the Second World War. Executive actions, “war powers”, and other instruments of universal executive have basically castrated that part of our Constitution. So, in my view, this condition is not met, at least for involvement by the USA.
Thirdly, was is to be a last resort. Have all other peaceful means been exhausted in this current situation? I seriously doubt it. Now, I will say, I wouldn’t trust the Iranian regime as far as I can spit, which I don’t, since I’m a gentleman. They’ve been shown to be duplicitous time and again. The being said, I do think that our Donald and Bibi rushed into this without seriously considering peaceful means, so with this condition, I’m going to say that it fails the test.
Fourthly, there must be a serious probability of success. That means, not only winning, but also having an exit strategy, which I have yet to hear. Can we win? Maybe, in the sense that we can obliterate their missile capabilities, their planes, their ships, their bases. However, if we get mired into a land war in Iran, I think it will turn into another morass like Iraq or Afghanistan. I most definitely do not want to see a single American on Iraqi ground. So, with this condition, I’ll give it a 50/50.
Fifthly, the war must be waged proportionally; that is, the damage and costs of war are not to outweigh the evils it purports to eliminate. Deliberately targeting civilian sites, ordinary infrastructure which would deprive civilians of the basic necessities of life, and neutral sites such as hospitals and schools, are strictly forbidden by this condition. So far, aside from the tragic bombing of the girl’s school, I think we’ve abided by this condition.
Sixthly, war must be waged with the right intention, that is, not for revenge or territorial or material conquest, but to achieve a just and lasting peace. How can that be achieved in Iran? I think that it could only be accomplished with the overthrow of the current regime and its Republican Guard, which, I think should be left to the Iranian people. We could arm them, and provide assistance without fighting ourselves. Sadly, I don’t see this as a possibility, so it seems we’ve once again failed in this condition.
During a just war there are two important conditions to be observed: the immunity of non-combatants (tied in with the fifth and sixth conditions above), and proportionality, which is actions must avoid unnecessary damage or destruction. Overall, the Church urges the avoidance of war. Even when a war can be seen as just, it is still an evil which causes immense suffering.
Does our Donald even know anything of the just war theory? Most likely not, even though he may have heard the words, he wouldn’t know all the conditions. So, Gentle Reader, as you see, war is not just a national policy, it is entwined with moral strictures. The Pope has every right, as the universal teacher of the Faith to preach and teach on this issue.
As a citizen of the United States, I love my country and pray for it. I pay my taxes, vote, and observe my civic duties. Patriotism can be a virtue, but it can easily turn into idolatry. I owe no allegiance to any one man, much less a political party. I am a paleo-conservative, who cannot abide the Neo-cons or the MAGAites. Even though I live here now and observe the laws, I have long held that our original Republic and the Constitution died a bloody death back in 1865. Nonetheless, I will do my part for this country as a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen.
However, my first allegiance will always be to my God and my Catholic Faith; next to my family and friends, then to my community, and lastly to my nation.
Call be a globalist? Don’t you dare, lest I strike you too!
In all seriousness, let us ask Christ, the Prince of Peace to soften the hearts of world leaders to be open to diplomacy, discussion, and seeking a just and lasting peace, not only in the Middle East, but throughout the world.
Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us!
God bless!
Father P
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