Citing the important work of previous popes and U.S. Catholic bishops over the past 60 years, Cardinal Robert McElroy, bishop of San Diego, led a discussion on the moral challenges of war and nuclear arms at the University of Notre Dame on Wednesday (March 1).听
The Notre Dame Forum event, 鈥�,鈥� featured opening remarks from , who set the tone for the conversation by quoting Pope Francis: 鈥淎nd together we must commit ourselves to building a world that is more peaceful because it is more just, where peace triumphs, not the folly of war.鈥�
Father Jenkins went on to say, 鈥淭he Catholic community also has a responsibility to know, live out and further develop the Church鈥檚 rich tradition of reflection and action on war and peace. Catholic universities have an important role here, working in collaboration with Church leaders and institutions such as Catholic Relief Services.鈥�
Cardinal McElroy, who was appointed bishop by Pope Francis in 2015 and elevated to cardinal in May 2022, holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Harvard, a master鈥檚 in American history and a doctorate in political science from Stanford and a doctorate in moral theology from the Gregorian University in Rome. He offered his reflections on papal encyclicals, such as Pope John XXIII鈥檚 encyclical Pacem in terris, Pope Francis鈥� Fratelli tutti, and the U.S. bishops鈥� 1983 peace pastoral.听听
The cardinal began the discussion with a sobering reminder of the fear and uncertainty experienced by Americans in the 1980s when the threat of nuclear war was an ever-present reality.
He spoke of the evacuation plans that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had created should there ever be an imminent nuclear attack, whereby half of a city鈥檚 cars would be allowed to leave at a time.听
鈥淭hat鈥檚 living with madness,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I think this needs to be the context for how we think about the nuclear question now. If we get used to it, then we think, 鈥極h yes, this is normal.鈥� But it can鈥檛 be normal.鈥�
When contemplating the Church鈥檚 position today on war and weapons, he said, 鈥淭he Church must engage with the world in this moment in order to contribute the perspective of Catholic faith and tradition in a perilous age.
鈥淚f one were asked in 1983 to state what framework stood as the central point of reference for the Church on armed conflict, they would have correctly answered: the just war theory. If we are asked today to answer that question, we must answer: comprehensive nonviolence.鈥澨�
Nevertheless, Cardinal McElroy noted that extreme cases, such as the war in Ukraine, 鈥渃all out for military action against profoundly barbaric aggression.鈥� In contexts like Ukraine, Cardinal McElroy noted, 鈥渢he just war tradition [is] inadequate for decision-making鈥� for two crucial reasons. First, it 鈥渄oes not include a realistic set of moral criteria for seeking war termination,鈥� and second, it does not address 鈥渢he moral obligations of other nations in minimizing a military conflict.鈥�
He cited Pope Francis鈥� condemnation of the possession of nuclear weapons, and emphasized that 鈥渄iscerning the implications of this dramatic shift in Catholic teaching鈥� is critical work for theologians, bishops, policymakers and Catholics who focus on ethics and nuclear weapons.
Cardinal McElroy concluded his remarks by first quoting St. John Paul II鈥檚 statement at Hiroshima, Japan: 鈥淥ur future on this planet, exposed as it is to nuclear annihilation, depends on one single factor: The world must make an about-face.鈥�
鈥淢ay we all be a part of initiating that moral about-face, rather than simply waiting for a new moment,鈥� he said.听
Following the cardinal鈥檚 presentation, he was joined on stage by Notre Dame faculty , adjunct professor and chairman of the advisory board for Notre Dame鈥檚; , the Robert and Marion Short Professor of Law at and concurrent professor of international peace studies at the ; , associate teaching professor of Islamic studies and peacebuilding at Notre Dame鈥檚 and Kroc Institute; and moderator , director of Catholic Peacebuilding 91视频 at Notre Dame鈥檚 Keough 91视频 and Kroc Institute.
The faculty offered their perspectives on a wide range of topics including the effectiveness of nonviolence, the need for peacebuilding, the just war tradition, nuclear disarmament, defense systems budgets and the interpretation of international law prohibiting the use of military force. The discussion also focused on how these topics relate to the current war in Ukraine as well as to other conflicts throughout the world.
听When asked by Powers about the criticisms of official Catholic teaching for being 鈥渇unctionally pacifist,鈥� the cardinal said the better term was 鈥渁ctive nonviolence.鈥� Rather than taking a passive approach toward addressing violence, he said, there needs to be a way of action that 鈥渆schews violence in most circumstances and seeks to effect change.鈥澨�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what should be at the centerpiece of how we handle conflict when conflict is serious in this society. That鈥檚 our first, second and third resort.鈥�
A recording of the two-hour event is available on the .听
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