Just War

Honoring those who paid the full price for freedom

5/27/2019

Acts of the Apostles 16:11-15 We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for samothrace, and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We spent some time in that city. On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river where we thought there would be a place of prayer. We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there. One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, "If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home," and she prevailed on us.

On this Memorial day, I would like to say a word about war, namely, that there is such a thing as a “just war.” We certainly hope and pray there will never be another war. I am especially and eagerly praying for that because my nephew, Isaac, is at West Point and he may be deployed if there is another war. Pacifists argue that no circumstances can justify pulling the trigger and going to war. Again, we hope and pray that is the case. But listen to the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2265, from the section called “legitimate defense.” We read: “Those who legitimately hold authority also have the right to use arms to repel aggressors against the civil community entrusted to their responsibility.” In other words, under the right conditions a nation can declare war and take up arms against an aggressor. We can certainly debate whether every war our country has waged was a just war. But my point is only that a just war is possible, and some past conflicts may have been just.

Additionally, we should not blame the veterans of wars for the decisions of politicians who declared those wars. Who can forget the shameful and vile treatment of Vietnam veterans when they returned home? Again, now that I have a nephew in West Point, I pray politicians do their homework, not only political homework but also moral homework, before they pull the trigger and wage another war. Today, we want to honor the memories of those who died in all wars that our country has waged – whether just or unjust. The debate about whether a given war was just is a healthy one. But there should be no debate about whether we should honor those who died in battle.

Sometimes the whole Christian enterprise can be described as waging a just war. In this case, however, the enemy is not a foreign power but sin and Satan. Indeed, the Church as she exists on earth is traditionally called the “Church Militant,” that is, a military on a mission to establish the Kingdom of God on earth by defeating our enemies. This is what motivates St. Paul to undertake his great missionary journeys in spreading the gospel. Like a brave soldier sent to far away foreign lands, encountering sometimes foes and sometimes friends – like Lydia the purpler today in Philippi – Paul is ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for Jesus, his commander and chief. Paul will die in the foreign land of Rome, Italy, beheaded for his belief in his mission. The Catholic church also venerates the memories of brave soldiers who died in the Lord’s military service. We do so by calling them saints, and designating a day in their memory. Every saint’s feast day is his or her “memorial day” because they fought in the most just of all wars, the spiritual battle.

It may be helpful to see our own journey of faith through the lens of a just war. I often describe the Catholic hierarchy of deacon, priest, monsignor, bishop, archbishop, cardinal and pope as the chain of command of the Catholic clergy. The bishop tells me what to do, and I tell the deacon what to do, and the deacons obeys, most of the time. In fact, I have been sent to St. Joseph in Fayetteville two times, and I jokingly say: “That was my second tour in Fayette-nam.” Just like St. Paul was sent on his missionary journeys and never stayed long in one location, so priests like Fr. Stephen are moved from one parish to another because it necessary for the war effort. Pocahontas may feel like going to a foreign country for him, where I’m sure he’ll make many good friends, like Lydia the purpler.

Another sense in which we can see our Christianity as a just war is remembering who the enemy is, namely, sin and Satan. It can be very tempting to paint other people as the enemies of my health and happiness. The democrats are the enemy, the Muslims are the enemy, the illegal immigrants are the enemy, the bishop is the enemy, my spouse is the enemy, and maybe even Fr. John is the enemy. When we do that we take our eyes of the true threat to Christianity and the Church (and ourselves), that is, sin and Satan. Satan is a fallen angel, who also commands legions of soldiers ready to do battle to the last angel standing. The spiritual battle is the most “just war” of all, and there should be no debate about that, and we should all be ready to pull the trigger.

On this Memorial Day, do something to honor the memories of those who died for our freedoms. Say a rosary for them, visit the National Cemetery, or read about the just war theory. But don’t forget that you, too, are a solider in the Lord’s Army, the Church Militant, and you, too, must take up arms against foreign aggressors.

Praised be Jesus Christ!