Comment
Questions of Faith Father Joshua Rodrigue, S.T.L.
The church and nuclear weapons I recently read an article about the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and their devastating impacts on those cities. I know there has also been some discussion in the news regarding North Korea advancing its nuclear arsenal. What is the Catholic Church’s teaching about nuclear weapons? Jesus’s mission from the Father has always been one of love, reconciliation and peace—not just restoring peace between humanity and God but among each of us. The resurrection of Christ heralded a new age for humanity “Peace be with you” (John 20:19). These are the first words from Jesus to the Apostles after the resurrection. Consequently, peace on earth is an image and fruit of the reign of the Prince of Peace in heaven, initiated with his resurrection and gift of the Holy Spirit. However, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) reminds us, “Peace is not merely the absence of war, and it is not limited to maintaining the balance of powers between adversaries … . Peace is the work of justice and the effect of charity” (2304). Injustices and acts against charity accompany all war. Therefore, citizens and governments are called to exhaust all diplomatic means available to avoid war. Nevertheless, a country “cannot be denied the right of lawful self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed” (Gaudium et Spes, 79 §4). St. Augustine was one of the first Catholic theologians to recognize that
it was sometimes necessary to engage in war to maintain peace and keep good order, but certain conditions must be met in order to declare a just war (see CCC 2309 for the various conditions). Even when war is declared, there are also conditions for conducting a just war. “The mere fact that war has regrettably broken out does not mean that everything becomes licit between the warring parties” (GS 79 §4). First, there must be a distinction between combatants and noncombatants, between unarmed civilians and armed fighters. “Non-combatants, wounded soldiers and prisoners must be respected and treated humanely,” and likewise, “the extermination of a people, nation or ethnic minority must be condemned as a mortal sin. One is morally bound to resist orders that command genocide” (CCC 2313). Secondly, there must be proportionality regarding the use of weapons. “Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and man, which merits firm an unequivocal condemnation” (GS 80 §3). Advancements in science and technology enable further developments in the accuracy and lethalness of modern weaponry. “A danger of modern warfare is that it provides the opportunity to those who possess modern scientific weapons—especially atomic, biological or chemical weapons—to commit such crimes” (CCC 2314). The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki did not differentiate between combatants and non-combatants and furthermore annihilated two cities. In fact, the bomb at Hiroshima detonated directly above Shima Hospital. The United States military estimated that around 110,000 people died at Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the days of the bombings and later from radiation poisoning. However, later independent estimates argued that the actual total number dead was near 210,000. Of those killed, about 20,000 were Japanese soldiers in Hiroshima and 150 in Nagasaki, fewer than 10 percent of the total casualties. The use of nuclear weapons, therefore,
violates the principles of conducting a just war. With the increased possibility of nuclear war during the Cold War, St. John XXIII released the encyclical Pacem in terris (Peace on Earth) in April of 1963. He condemned the use of nuclear weapons both in war and for deterrence—the concept of keeping weapons to stop others from using them—in the emerging arms race. “Even though the monstrous power of modern weapons does indeed act as a deterrent,” (111) St. John XXIII emphatically declares, “Nuclear weapons must be banned. A general agreement must be reached on a suitable disarmament program, with an effective system of mutual control” (112). In June 1982, St. John Paul II addressed the United Nations and explained, “In current conditions ‘deterrence’ based on balance, certainly not as an end in itself but as a step on the way toward a progressive disarmament, may still be judged morally acceptable” (8). However, the notion of peace through nuclear deterrence is to be transitional, leading to an eventual arms control and disarmament of nuclear weapons. During his address at the Peace Memorial in Hiroshima in November 2019, Pope Francis reiterated the church’s teaching on nuclear weapons and ultimately called for their abolition. He affirmed, “With deep conviction, I wish once more to declare that the use of atomic energy for purposes of war is today, more than ever, a crime not only against the dignity of human beings but against any possible future for our common home. The use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral, just as the possessing of nuclear weapons is immoral.” History has shown us the horrible consequences of conventional, chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. May Pope Francis’s exhortation in Hiroshima also be our prayer, “In a single plea to God and to all men and women of good will, on behalf of all the victims of atomic bombings and experiments, and of all conflicts, let us together cry out from our hearts: Never again war, never again the clash of arms, never again so much suffering! May peace come in our time and to our world.” BC
September 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 13
