The Thomistic Institute Contemporary Papal Teaching on the Moral Problem of War | Dr. Gregory M. Reichberg
Oct 17, 2024
Dr. Gregory M. Reichberg, a Research Professor at the Peace Research Institute Oslo and an expert in military ethics and AI in conflict, shares his insights on the moral complexities of war. He discusses the historical evolution of just war doctrine within the Catholic Church, highlighting debates around pacifism and contemporary papal teachings. Reichberg emphasizes Pope Francis's cautious stance on humanitarian interventions and advocates for a deeper reevaluation of moral implications in modern warfare, linking tradition with today's global conflicts.
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Just War's Discontinuous History
- Just war teaching within the Catholic Church hasn't been continuous.
- It was even considered obsolete by some Catholic thinkers around the 1930s.
The Freiburg Conventus
- In 1931, a French priest's pro-pacifism statements sparked criticism and a study group proposed by Pope Pius XII.
- This group, meeting in Freiburg, produced a declaration suggesting just war was obsolete.
Debate on Just War in the US
- A debate in the US, starting around 1973, questioned the Catholic Church's handling of just war tradition.
- Pope John Paul's cautions during the Gulf War fueled this debate.