AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS' CONFERENCE
Press Release, February 10, 2003
Archbishop not
convinced there is Just Cause for war with Iraq
Australian
Catholic Bishops' Conference President Archbishop Francis Carroll of
Canberra-Goulburn said this week he did not believe a convincing case had yet
been put to justify a war with Iraq.
Archbishop
Carroll took part in a Radio National public debate on the topic, Should We go
to War on Iraq?
During the
debate, recorded at Canberra's Old Parliament House in front of a large live
audience, he outlined the criteria for a Just War and said in his personal
opinion, that criteria had not been met in relation to Iraq.
"Any
right-minded person, of course, would be opposed to war. Nobody would want
war," he said.
But he said
when confronted by injustice or evil in the world, the Just War approach,
originating in the 5th Century with St Augustine, was still the
basic principle which people debated.
"But the
requirements for a Just War are very strict and I think because war is such a
terrible thing they have to be interpreted and applied quite strictly," he
said.
Archbishop
Carroll said the first requirement for a Just War was that there had to be Just
Cause.
"Usually
defence against an unjust aggressor would be seen as a Just Cause," he
said.
Second, there
must be a Right Intention on the party undertaking the Just War and to oppose
terrorism and weapons of mass destruction could constitute a Right Intention.
The decision
had to be taken by a Legitimate Authority, in this case the United Nations,
there needed to be a Reasonable Chance of Success, Proportion between the evil
of war and the evil to be eliminated and war must be a Last Resort.
"At the
moment, I am not yet convinced that to take pre-emptive action against Iraq
would be a Just War," he said.
" I think
there are things still to be further explored. I am not sure in my judgment,
and I can only like everybody else in Australia, make a personal judgment on
that, that I don't think the case is proven to the point that one could justify
a war being undertaken."
For more
information contact Debra Way at the ACBC on (02) 6201 9859.