Can a War Ever Be Just? The Catholic Answer

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Can war ever be morally justified? Catholicism recognizes the possibility of a just war, but only under strict moral conditions developed through the Catholic tradition and summarized in the Catechism. The aggression must cause lasting, grave, and certain harm. Peaceful alternatives must have been exhausted. There must be serious prospects of success. And military action must not produce evils greater than those being confronted. Even during a just war, moral limits remain. Civilians cannot be intentionally targeted. Intrinsically evil actions remain evil. Prisoners must be treated humanely. Modern weapons make these principles particularly urgent because warfare can now inflict destruction on an unprecedented scale. Catholics should therefore evaluate war according to moral principles—not simply political loyalties. Subscribe to Catholic Voices and Prayers for daily Catholic truth, traditional devotions, and clear answers to difficult moral questions.