Rather than simply being “careful” about a centuries-old doctrine of just war — dating back to St. Augustine in the 5th century and St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century — Leo reckons the Church should be reconsidering whether this traditional framework still holds in an age of drones, cyber-warfare and nuclear weapons.
In an assertive papal document last month, known as an encyclical, Leo said the theory, “which has all too often been used to justify any kind of war, is now outdated.” Days later, he told journalists, “The notion of a just war no longer applies … [The theory] was developed in centuries when no one could have imagined the weapons we have today or humanity’s capacity for destruction.”
Senior clergy expected that the gathering of cardinals could move toward stricter definitions of when war is justified in self-defense — particularly relevant in relation to Iran — and impose greater demands for negotiation before potential conflicts.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, who has argued that the U.S. war with Iran does not meet the conditions for a just war, said the changing nature of warfare demanded a fresh examination of the doctrine.
“Because of the cataclysmic encounters that we’ve had and also the potential danger that’s there, I think the pope wants to take advantage of bringing to bear all of the modern considerations that now have, in a very real way, altered the nature of warfare,” Broglio said.
Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia, president emeritus of the Pontifical Academy for Life and one of the Catholic Church’s most prominent peace negotiators, said Leo was “stepping on the gas” of a process begun by previous popes, describing it as “Leo’s first big move.”