(Vatican Radio) “We believe that there is no ‘just war’. Those words are at the heart of a statement published on Thursday at the conclusion of an international conference looking at changes in Church practice and teaching on non-violence and peacemaking.Organised jointly by the Catholic peace network, Pax Christi International and the Vatican’s Justice and Peace Council, the three-day encounter brought together some 80 theologians and peace activists from conflict zones around the world.Philippa Hitchen reports: The statement, presented at a press conference in the Vatican, explores the Gospel message of non-violent activism and asks Pope Francis “to share with the world an encyclical on non-violence and Just Peace.” The appeal calls for non-violent practice and strategies to be developed, promoted and taught in all Church agencies, seminaries, parishes and educational institutes.It also calls on the Church to “no longer use o...
(Vatican Radio) “We believe that there is no ‘just war’. Those words are at the heart of a statement published on Thursday at the conclusion of an international conference looking at changes in Church practice and teaching on non-violence and peacemaking.
Organised jointly by the Catholic peace network, Pax Christi International and the Vatican’s Justice and Peace Council, the three-day encounter brought together some 80 theologians and peace activists from conflict zones around the world.
Philippa Hitchen reports:
The statement, presented at a press conference in the Vatican, explores the Gospel message of non-violent activism and asks Pope Francis “to share with the world an encyclical on non-violence and Just Peace.” The appeal calls for non-violent practice and strategies to be developed, promoted and taught in all Church agencies, seminaries, parishes and educational institutes.
It also calls on the Church to “no longer use or teach ‘just war’ theory which recognizes war as morally justifiable - if a series of criteria can be met. Participants believe that modern methods of warfare make this impossible and that “too often the ‘just war theory’ has been used to endorse rather than prevent or limit “ military action.
Among those sharing practical experiences of peace making at the conference was Archbishop Jean Baptist Odama of Gulu in northern Uganda
“Any war is a destruction and there is no justice in destruction of life, of property…..so no spending of resources for the destruction of life”
Participants said on the one hand what they’re calling for is a historic change to 1700 years of Church teaching of the ‘just war’ theory. But on the other hand, they stress it’s simply the next step in the direction that popes have been pointing over the past half century since Pope John XXIII wrote his landmark encyclical Pacem in Terris.
New space for non-violent witness
Conference organisers noted the presence of nine members of the Pontifical Justice and Peace Council, including its president Cardinal Peter Turkson, at the conference, saying they believe Pope Francis is opening up “a new space” for such non-violent witness to take root.
As participants head home to the four corners of the globe, they hope this conference will mark a milestone on the road towards putting Jesus’ powerful witness to non-violent peacemaking back at the heart of the Church message and mission.
Chuck Robbins, the chief executive of the multinational digital communications conglomerate Cisco, signs the Rome Call for AI Ethics, a document by the Pontifical Academy for Life, on April 24, 2024, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican MediaRome Newsroom, Apr 24, 2024 / 11:06 am (CNA).The CEO of Cisco Systems signed the Vatican's artificial intelligence ethics pledge on Wednesday, becoming the latest technology giant to join the Church's call for ethical and responsible use of AI.Chuck Robbins, the chief executive of the multinational digital communications conglomerate, met privately with Pope Francis on April 24 before signing the Rome Call for AI Ethics, a document by the Pontifical Academy for Life. Pope Francis meets with Chuck Robbins, the chief executive of multinational digital communications conglomerate Cisco, on April 24, 2024, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican MediaThe document, first published by the pontifical academy in February 2020, has previously been signed ...
null / Credit: Brian A Jackson / ShutterstockCNA Staff, Apr 24, 2024 / 13:35 pm (CNA).Catholics Charities Corporation in Ohio was found partially negligent this week in the 2017 death of a 5-year-old boy who was being supervised by one of the organization's caseworkers at the time he died.A jury in Cuyahoga County ruled in the wrongful death suit that the Catholic charity group was 8% responsible for Jordan Rodriguez's September 2017 death, local media reported. Rodriguez's body was discovered buried in his mother's backyard three months after he died.The boy's mother and her boyfriend earlier pleaded guilty to several charges stemming from his death, including involuntary manslaughter. Jordan was developmentally disabled and incapable of speaking.In the civil wrongful death trial this week, Catholic Charities Corporation was ordered to pay $960,000 into Jordan Rodriguez's estate. Several ...
null / ShutterstockCNA Staff, Apr 24, 2024 / 14:15 pm (CNA).As euthanasia and assisted suicide are legalized in more jurisdictions throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world, one Catholic-focused ministry is promoting end-of-life resources that the group's founder says will help Catholics finish their earthly journeys while remaining faithful.Aging with Dignity, a nonprofit that for years has been promoting end-of-life support in line with Church teaching, announced this month the release of "Finishing Life Faithfully," a booklet that "makes complex end-of-life decisions easier." The materials address "basic questions" on how to approach end-of-life topics such as pain management, feeding tubes, and other matters surrounding death.The document "summarizes the Catholic Church's guidance on end-of-life decision-making and the ethical considerations involved and helps patients and families better understand these teachings and follow them," the group said this month.Jim Towey, ...