tvc.dsj.org | January 21, 2020
COMMENTARY
17
War with Iran – not a Catholic Option
By Tony Magliano
Internationally syndicated
social justice and peace columnist
[email protected]
“Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
Just think how much better each one of us and the
world would be, if we held fast to this morally correct
common sense proverb. But unfortunately, common
sense and morality are often not considered when we
feel we have been wronged.
Instead, and often tragically so, the unholy act of
retaliation is a frequent response. And even when con-
sidering retaliation from just a logical perspective, it
doesn’t make sense. Historically, as well as currently,
it is clearly observed that retaliation, instead of deter-
ring further aggression, nearly always perpetuates it,
creating an ongoing cycle of violence.
Retaliation is especially illogical and immoral
when doing so could lead to war. President Trump’s
decision to assassinate Iranian Major General Qas-
sem Soleimani is a case in point – notwithstanding
Soleimani’s murderous reputation.
As reported in The Atlantic (see: https://bit.
ly/2FDYgYk), Elissa Slotkin, a Democratic representa-
tive and former CIA analyst focused on Shia militias,
said in a statement that she’d seen friends and col-
leagues killed or hurt by Iranian weapons under So-
leimani’s guidance when she served in Iraq. She said
she was involved in discussions during both the Bush
and Obama administrations about how to respond to
his violence. Neither opted for assassination.
“What always kept both Democratic and Republi-
can presidents from targeting Soleimani himself was
the simple question: Was the strike worth the likely
retaliation, and the potential to pull us into protracted
conflict?” she said. “The two administrations I worked
for both determined that the ultimate ends didn’t
justify the means. The Trump Administration has
made a different calculation.”
Two wrongs don’t make a right.
It takes strong moral courage
to break the violent cycle of
giving back hurt for hurt.
For it takes love to make a right.
In addition to considering the added harm re-
taliation would bring, Slotkin’s pointing out “that the
ultimate ends didn’t justify the means” is a step in
the direction of the ironclad Catholic moral principle
which insists that even a good end does not justify an
evil means. That is, the means used to accomplish a
good end must also be good. No exceptions! And in
light of the Gospel, violence is always an evil means.
In his new year’s address to the Diplomatic Corps
accredited by the Holy See, Pope Francis expressed
deep concern regarding tensions between Iran and
the United States which risks “setting the ground-
work for a vaster conflict that all of us would want to
avert.” He appealed that escalation of the conflict be
avoided and to “keep alive the flame of dialogue and
self-restraint” (see: https://bit.ly/2QEXbWQ).
In his 2003 address to the Diplomatic Corps, Saint
John Paul II emphatically proclaimed that war “is
always a defeat for humanity.”
Here’s a link to excellent resources provided by the
U.S. Catholic peace movement Pax Christi to help us
avoid war with Iran https://paxchristiusa.org/iran.
As the U.S. observes the federal holiday honoring
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., it is especially appropri-
ate to reflect on his thoughts regarding such matters:
“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a de-
scending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to
destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.
“Through violence you may murder the liar, but
you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth.
Through violence you murder the hater, but you do
not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases
hate. … Returning violence for violence multiplies
violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already
devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness;
only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate;
only love can do that.”
Two wrongs don’t make a right. It takes strong
moral courage to break the violent cycle of giving
back hurt for hurt. For it takes love to make a right.
Bishops Find Hope, and Humor,
During ‘Ad Limina’ Meeting with Pope
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The ad limina
visits bishops are required to make to
the Vatican are occasions to be hon-
est about challenges, while also being
encouraged to hope, said Bishop John
T. Folda of Fargo, North Dakota. “It’s
tempting at times to lose hope when all
you hear is bad news and with some of
the challenges we face in our dioceses
at home; it’s extremely important to
maintain a spirit of hope and the ‘ad
limina’ I think has been that for me,”
Bishop Folda told Catholic News Service
Jan. 13 after a two-hour meeting with
Pope Francis. Bishops from U.S. Region
VIII – North Dakota, South Dakota
and Minnesota – met the pope on the
first day of their ad limina visit. The re-
gion’s 10 dioceses have one archbishop,
one auxiliary bishop, six bishops, one
bishop-designate and two diocesan
administrators. Archbishop Bernard
A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis
had previously made an ad limina visit
as bishop of Gaylord, Michigan, in 2012.
March 27-29
Men’s & Women’s Semi-Silent Retreat: Father Michael Barry, SSCC
Healing Retreat
April 3-5 (Palm Sunday) Men’s & Women’s Semi-Silent Teaching Retreat Cohosted
Discerning Hearts and the John Paul II Center for Contemplative
Culture: Dr. Anthony Lillies; Sacraments with Fr. Dave Robbins, SJ –
Heart of the World: Meditations on the Paschal Mystery
Pope Francis greets clerics during a meet-
ing with U.S. bishops in the Apostolic Palace
at the Vatican Jan. 13, 2020. (CNS photo/
Vatican Media)
Pope Benedict XVI was pope. Even then,
the archbishop said, there was a group
discussion, although each bishop pre-
pared a topic to discuss. “This was even
more free flowing,” the archbishop said.
Pope Francis spent about 30 minutes
meeting with priests and seminarians
from the 10 dioceses – “he was very
gracious and patient” – and then spent
a full two hours alone with the bishops,
Archbishop Hebda said. “It was pretty
amazing. It was beautiful.”
May 15-17 Men’s & Women’s Semi-Silent Retreat (Marian/Legion of Mary):
Father Gary Sumpter
Learning to Love Mary as our Mother
June 4-7 Opus Sanctorum Angelorum Silent Retreat
www.opusangelorum.org/english.html
June 23-30 Sisters’ and Lay Women’s 8-Day Silent Retreat: Father Serge Propst, OP
Who is Jesus?
July 10-12 Men’s & Women’s Silent Retreat: Father Gary Sumpter
Learning to Be Friends with Jesus
831-423-8093 • www.stclaresretreat.com
Email: [email protected]
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