This is why the Church teaches as a norm of conscience the following: “If rulers were to enact unjust laws or take
measures contrary to the moral order such arrangements would not be binding in conscience.” (Catechism 1903) She
also warns “Blind obedience [to immoral laws] does not suffice to excuse those who carry them out” (Catechism 2313).
When a moral conflict arises between Church teaching and secular morality, when contradictory moral demands are
made upon a Catholic’s conscience, he or she “must obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29).!
!
Because such a moment of moral crisis has arisen for us, beloved Romanian Catholics, I must now speak to you as
your bishop. Please be aware that I am not speaking to you as a theologian or as a private Christian voicing his
opinion, nor by any means am I speaking to you as a political partisan. I am speaking to you solely as your bishop with
the authority and responsibility I, though a sinner, have been given as a successor to the apostles on your behalf. I am
speaking to you from the deepest chambers of my conscience as your bishop, appointed by Jesus Christ in his Body,
the Church, to help shepherd you to sanctity and to heaven. Never before have I spoken to you in this manner,
explicitly exercising the fullness of authority Jesus Christ has given his Apostles “to bind and to loose,” (cf. John 20:23),
but now “the love of Christ compels” me to do so (2 Corinthians 5:14). My love for you makes it a moral imperative that
I not allow you, by my silence, to fall into grave evil and its incalculable temporal and eternal consequences.!
!
Humanly speaking, I would much prefer to keep silent. It would be far, far easier for me and my family simply to let
events unfold as they will, without commentary or warning on my part. But what kind of shepherd would I be if I, seeing
the approach of the wolf, ran away from the sheep (cf. John !
10:12-14)? My silence would be cowardly and, indeed, sinful. I believe that !
Christ, whose flock you are, expects more than silence from me on behalf of !
the souls committed to my protection and guidance.!
!
Therefore I, by the grace of God and the favor of the Apostolic See Bishop of the Eparchy of St. George in Canton,
must declare to you, my people, forthe sake of your salvation as well as my own, that any direct participation and
support of this war against the people of Iraq is objectively grave evil, a matter of mortal sin. Beyond a reasonable
doubt this war is morally incompatible with the Person and Way of Jesus Christ. With moral certainty I say to you it
does not meet even the minimal standards of the Catholic just war theory.!
!
Thus, any killing associated with it is unjustified and, in consequence, unequivocally murder. Direct participation in this
war is the moral equivalent of direct participation in an abortion. For the Catholics of the Eparchy of 7B