Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich, has sharply criticized the attack by Israel and the U.S. on Iran. “According to the criteria of Catholic social teaching, this is an illegitimate war that we cannot accept,” Marx said over the March 14-15 weekend in a speech at the plenary assembly of the Munich Diocesan Council of Catholics.
He could see no criterion that would justify this war at this time. War is “the worst evil; it destroys souls and morality; the price is high, especially for the civilian population.” Moreover, it is questionable whether it would bring about an improvement in conditions.
With regard to the current global political situation, the cardinal warned against jeopardizing previously established civilized orders. “The big issues—such as universalism, the one planet, and the responsibility of all—are no longer the focus,” he lamented. “Much of what we have long fought for is gone.”
Importantly, Marx called on people not to resign themselves to this: “We must not allow ourselves to be discouraged; now more than ever, we must be involved, both as a Church and as individual citizens.” Europe retains its relevance, including as an “ethical project, as a Christian project.”
