Reflections: US bishops pose questions on Iraq

Sydney
1 Dec 2002

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Reflections: US bishops pose questions on Iraq

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Reflections: US bishops pose questions on Iraq

By Bruce Duncan

As we stand on the brink of war with Iraq, let us consider the critical moral issues it raises; military intervention could result again in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

Astonishingly, Church leaders throughout the world have been almost unanimous in their refusal to endorse the justice of such a war, with the US Catholic bishops being among the most insistent that, on the evidence they have seen, war is not justified.

The Australian media do not seem to have realised the significance of this yet.

For the first time in the history of western liberal nations, the Churches are, in effect, declaring that this is not a just war.

Circumstances can and will change, but unless the US can prove that Iraq was involved in the September 11 attacks or poses a direct threat to the West, the view of the Churches is unlikely to shift.

The US bishops have also beencareful not to compel consciences unreasonably, acknowledging that assessing the justice of a war is a complex process and that they are making what is called a prudential decision, on the basis of the evidence available to them.

In other words, they allow for the possibility that Catholics, even after considering carefully the evidence, may disagree with the bishops’ views and still be in good conscience.

Nevertheless, the bishops have a duty to invoke their moral authority to guide Catholics on an issue of such gravity.

This is especially so since the Church in its history has been deeply involved in efforts to prevent killing, particularly of the innocent, and has played a central role in the development of the ‘just war’ tradition in the West.

It is true, unfortunately, that the Churches, including the Catholic Church, have not always been true to their own best “just war” traditions, and have at times succumbed to nationalism and expediency. Witness the jingoism at the start of World War I.

The contrast between that jingoism and the Churches’ current rejection of the Bush Administration’s arguments for war is quite startling.

The bishops are aware that their statements could place members of the armed forces in a difficult position, as they may be required to fight in Iraq.

The bishops are not demanding that Christians in the armed forces resign. Nor do they impose an obligation in faith to oppose the war.

But they are asking service personnel to examine the arguments carefully in coming to a decision of conscience.

If servicemen and women do decide that the war is unjust, then they still have the option of conscientious objection.

Finally, the debate over the war is entangled with political dimensions.

The Churches, however, cannot simply be silent because of these political overtones, but are trying to address the moral aspects in a non-partisan manner.

It may be difficult to maintain this balance, particularly if there are large-scale demonstrations against a US-led invasion of Iraq.

Bruce Duncan CSsR co-ordinates the program of social justice studies at Yarra Theological Union in Melbourne and is also a consultant at Catholic Social Services Victoria.