Summaries / Resúmenes - Studia Moralia

POPE JOHN PAUL II AND THE WAR IN IRAQ 317The Theological Rationale of the Catholic Pastorate for PeaceA good contemporary account is given by Joseph Joblin. 21 Inthe context of this article, it is important to note that this authoris presenting Catholic thinking prior to Pope John Paul. Thebasis is an anthropology which regards the fraternity ofhumankind as a primary fact of human existence. This view ofhuman kind may well seem unduly optimistic, in view of thewars of the recent past, and of present violence in the form ofterrorism, but what Joblin is doing here is describing the normativeidea which has governed Catholic doctrine on peace andwar. He is presenting a vision of the way the world ought to be,according to Catholic teaching, not describing the way it is.Human fraternity is a demand of human nature; the doctrinethen is based on natural law and finds its foundation inhuman reason. This natural fraternity is the basis on whichthose whom God calls to form a single human family can constructpeace. It is the normative reality which regulates themorality of the relations which the members of a society establishamong themselves. Therefore, violence and war are contraryto the demands of human reason; they are irrational activitiesand as such morally wrong. In this sense, Paul VI spoke of the“fundamental dogma” of the brotherhood of humankind. 22From this basic doctrine conclusions follow: (1) War is notinevitable, in other words, war is not tied to human nature, sothat there will always be war; (2) War is not worthy ofhumankind; (3) Peace is possible; (4) Active involvement forpeace is a moral imperative; (5) Specifically, the arms race oughtto be done away with.The practical exercise of this pastorate for peace has beenmade possible by certain historical developments. As Joblinnotes, between 1919 and 1970, the Holy See became more andmore an actor on the international scene. 23 In the Treaty of21JOBLIN, L’église, 280.22Message for the day of peace, 1971, #3. www.vatican.va/paul_vi/messages/peace/documents/hf_p-vi_mes_19701114_iv-world-day-forpeace_en.html.23JOBLIN, L’église, 274.