Inaugural Catholic military conference to feature keynote on just war theory

The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, will launch its first conference for Catholic service members to explore how the ongoing conflict with Iran fits within the Church’s teachings on just war theory.

University of Notre Dame theology professor Joseph Capizzi will deliver the keynote address at the Nov. 9–11 event under the theme “Living and Serving Justly,” according to a July 28 archdiocese press release. The conference will be held at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly, Virginia.

The U.S.-Iran conflict has entered its fifth month, and Catholic theologians have expressed concern over the impact of U.S. military force on civilian infrastructure in Iran. 

“The position of the Church,” Capizzi said in the release, “is that the use of force, including lethal force, is bound by the moral law, and even when countries resort to the use of force in conflict, it’s not anything goes. In fact, both sides remain bound to the requirements of moral international law regarding the treatment of civilian populations, the treatment of prisoners of war and wounded soldiers, among others, and this has been spelled out for a long time in Western tradition.”

Capizzi is the McGrath-Cavadini director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame and is the author of “Politics, Justice, and War: Christian Governance and the Ethics of Warfare.” His remarks will include reflections on the teachings of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas and how they apply to modern warfare.

“Even when it’s resorted to, the use of force must be discriminatory or ‘distinct’ — the principle of distinction is what it’s called in international law, which means it has to distinguish between legitimate targets and illegitimate targets,” he said. “Civilian populations, civilian structures like schools, hospitals, desalinization plants and so on — they are not legitimately targeted. You must abide by this principle of distinction, and any uses of force must be proportional to the ends sought.”

Other speakers at the three-day event include Catholic radio host Katie McGrady, who will serve as emcee. The conference will feature additional keynote addresses and breakout sessions geared toward fostering “synodal” connections within the archdiocese, according to the release.