James Martin, SJ, sowing confusion
Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitan and Archbishop Borys Gudziak
Photo by Oleksandr Podoima on Unsplash
"Just War" and U.S. Support for Ukraine
At the outset of 2024, I asked "Are there 'well founded prospects of success' for Ukraine against Russia?" (Catholic365, 1/1/24):
483. When is it morally permitted to use military force?
The use of military force is morally justified when the following conditions are simultaneously present:
- the suffering inflicted by the aggressor must be lasting, grave and certain;
- all other peaceful means must have been shown to be ineffective;
- there are well founded prospects of success;
- the use of arms, especially given the power of modern weapons of mass destruction, must not produce evils graver than the evil to be eliminated.
of the Catholic Church)....
Without massive and continuing American financial support for Ukraine's war effort, the answer certainly appears to be an unqualified "no."
Who Makes the Call? And with Regard to the Ukraine, is Archbishop Gudziak Blinded by Conflicting Interests?
As to who decides upon the use of military force in the U.S., the Constitution says it is Congress (cf, Catholic365, 1/27/24). Yet since World War II, our military has repeatedly been used without any congressional declarations of war.
Though our Catholic brothers and sisters in Nigeria are experiencing indescribable suffering, Nigeria's plight does not appear to have reached the ears of our government or our church!
Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitan and Archbishop Borys Gudziak is also president of the Catholic University of Ukraine and chair of the USCCB's Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.... Archbishop Gudziak seems to need a reminder that Catholic Social Teaching does not support unwinnable, suicidal wars. He seems to think that U.S. support should be interminable. (Catholic365, 7/16/24)
As per D. Padgett Blakley,
In today's world, one of the most terrifying sentences American moms can hear is: "The United States Congress declares war on Russia: World War III has begun"....
Trump promised an end to the futile Ukraine war in "24 hours". Vladimir Putin praised Trump, stating that Russia was ready for dialogue.... President Zelensky says he wants to work with Trump to end the Ukraine war.....
Meanwhile, since Joe has pardoned Hunter, Jill's stepson, and saved him from an ugly fate, maybe she will help the rest of the American moms by getting Joe out of the White House, away from being able to cause more trouble, and take him to the beach, or somewhere else.
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About the Author
Joe Tevington is a proudly orthodox Catholic, a husband since 1986, a dad to two adult children, a grandpa to two, and a civil service retiree. He is a sign language fluent certified rehabilitation counselor with graduate degrees in deafness rehabilitation, religious studies/moral theology, & Christian counseling psychology, as well as a catechetical diploma and certificates in benefits planning and Catholic social ministry. He deeply appreciates Catholic teaching on the sanctity of human life and the sanctity of the transmission of human life, as well as how they are to inform us in our apostolates and ministries.
On much lighter notes, he fancies himself to be the foremost authority on his native Brooklyn, when it comes to architecture, cinema, geography, history, Italian food, stick ball, stoop ball, or wiffle ball.
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