(The Atlantic magazine seems to spend a lot of ink on Pope Francis’ peace making efforts. Their most recent was from May 5 and entitled “Why Pope Francis Isn’t With the West on Ukraine”. Why all this talk of peace?)
The Russian Special Military Operation (SMO) into the Ukraine has called into question the current international order and caused an examination of war itself. I previously discussed some of these issues.
In September, 2022, a book entitled Against War: Building a Culture of Peace was published that contained a number of statements by Pope Francis on war. Francis repeatedly decries the horrors of war as being destructive of the person and the family.[i] He writes that war proceeds from evil within the human heart[ii] and he blames all of us for that by referencing “we”.[iii] A “culture of power”[iv] is responsible for war as are evil ideologies[v].
Francis calls for a new way to “govern the world” and in doing so condemns the West for its response to Russia[vi], which he condemns for the violence of the war in the Ukraine. “Social friendship” should come to be the basis of international politics[vii] though he seems to base that conception on the view solely on the principle that we are all human beings, or biologically similar.[viii] And, solidarity must govern relations between peoples.[ix]
To build the right global environment, economics must be re-ordered.[x] The corrupting influences of money must be removed and we must submit to Christ.[xi] Each person must reorder their lives in accordance with the Beatitudes.[xii]
Francis sets out his view for the basis for a new international order:
“International peace and stability cannot be based on a false sense of security, on the threat of mutual destruction or total annihilation, or on simply maintaining a balance of power. Peace must be built on justice, on integral human development, on respect for fundamental human rights, on the protection of creation, on the participation of all in public life, on trust between peoples, on the support of peaceful institutions, on access to education and health, on dialogue and solidarity. From this perspective, we need to go beyond nuclear deterrence: the international community is called upon to adopt forward-looking strategies to promote the goal of peace and stability and to avoid shortsighted approaches to the problems surrounding national and international security.”[xiii]
Francis definitely uses words and concepts that Catholics should understand as these are prevalent in Catholic teaching and doctrine, most notably the Catechism. He also uses words, phrases, and concepts that may be poorly understood by Catholics and others who assign the current accepted meaning to them, and not how the Church understands these terms. Francis omits any discussion of some things that are in the Catechism such as what is known as Just War (see, Section 2309). Just War is part of the Catholic tradition and is allowed countries in the absence of an international order that is able to insure the rights and right order of the country and the right order of the global community (see, Section 2308). Just War allows the civil authorities to protect their society and vindicate their rights when there is no other authority greater than them to vindicate those rights and effect that protection. Necessary is the understanding of the ideas of aggression, good will and good faith all of which animates Catholic Doctrine. Peace is right order, not just the end of conflict and Francis presents a sense of that order in his many talks. This is good.
War implicates international law, and what Catholics should know as the Law of Nations. This in turn implicates right order in the international society and that in turn implicates right order in domestic societies. It is important to get the correct, and complete, doctrine to people.
It is also important to articulate the Catholic vision in this regard especially as Liberalism is attempting to make a resurgence. One of the proponents of a persistent, though repackaged, Liberalism is German Dr. Benjamin Tallis, a member of the German Council of Foreign Relations and a Senior Research Fellow at a think tank by the name of the Alfred Von Oppenheim Center for the Future of Europe.[xiv] Tallis, in his recently released work, To Ukraine with Love: Essays on Russia’s War and Ukraine’s Future, sets forth something called Neo-Idealism as the motivating ideology to restructure Europe. He writes:
“What is Neo-Idealism? The Neo-Idealists share a morally based approach to the (geopolitical) pursuit of interests that emphasizes all democratic states’, including smaller states’, rights to self-determination. This means, for example, that states should be able to freely choose which institutions to apply for membership of. They can, thus, voluntarily seek to join ‘spheres of integration’ like NATO and the EU rather than having authoritarian ‘spheres of influence’ imposed on them. Neo-Idealism is founded on the power of values conceived as ideals to strive for: human rights and fundamental freedoms, democratic governance, liberal societies and, perhaps most importantly, the right of citizens in those societies to a hopeful future.”[xv]
This is Liberalism merely repackaged as a way by which to re-order societies (which we shall call domestic societies when we refer to individual countries or states). Tallis makes sure that it is devoid of any Christian support or character. He writes:
“Unencumbered by Christian conservatism, Neo-Idealism takes a resolutely socially liberal approach by, for example, overtly supporting gay rights, rejecting islamophobia and embracing the benefits of inward migration. Neo-Idealists have recognised that social and diversity and social cohesion can be combined if enough of the population buy into their societies. They see that achieving this buy-in requires the vast majority of their populations to see the possibility of progress and betterment in and through their societies, because not in spite of their democratic character. Third, they have understood that facilitating this progress – and both the experience and impression of such for their populations – is a major task of the state which must strive for democratic and liberal values across policy areas. While Neo-Idealists and Neo-Cons share a whole of society approach to combating tyranny, the former have taken this a step further by working toward a whole of society theory of victory, and of ongoing societal thriving. Progress of this kind also requires a dynamic economy with a key role for companies from democratic countries and which share democratic goals and values – the recognition of which can also be seen in the trend for ‘friendshoring’. Yet those companies also need to share the benefits they generate in more socially equitable ways – especially if they want to benefit from increased state assistance.”[xvi]
Tallis says it is important to make the world safe for democracy, to reorder societies so they are all alike:
“That means that democratic states, even smaller states, cannot hide and submerge themselves in international organisations but must stand up and be counted. Indeed, states have called the shots in supplying weapons, money and humanitarian aid – and in welcoming refugees. They rely on NATO and the EU but in doing more to bolster these organisations also increasingly call on them to more actively promote the kind of ordering that makes the world safe for all democracies. Neither Neo-Conservative, Nor Restraint Coalition Despite its origins in smaller states – none of them great powers – some have detected echoes of Neo-Conservatism in Neo-Idealism. After all, didn’t Neo-Cons also seek to make the world safe for democracies, stand up to authoritarian regimes and encourage a more cohesive national community – especially in the US? Didn’t they too see value in international institutions only when they were useful for the cause? They did.”[xvii]
Tallis attacks the Visegrad 4 (Czech, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary) for their ethnic or Christian principles in the operation of their societies while applauding their receptiveness to supporting the Ukrainian war with Russia. He writes:
“Poland [‘s]…PiS government, however, is avowedly not Neo-Idealist. It grounds its approach in defence of Poland’s interests but links this to a hard-line conservative vision that has seen significant restrictions on freedoms and rights in recent years. That is in marked contrast to the moral grounds used by others to justify their countries’ strong material support to Ukraine….
“Lipavsky has, on the other hand, questioned Hungary’s loyalties and place in the liberal, democratic community. He explicitly criticised the re-election of Viktor Orban in 2022 stating that “as a liberal politician, I’m not satisfied with the election results in Hungary […] Hungary must choose its side, whether [or not] it belongs to the EU and NATO.” This avowedly liberal stance is not limited to European affairs, nor to the overt interests of the Neo-Idealists’ own countries….”[xviii]
Even the Azov battalions were supporting the corrupting influence:
“Even the formerly right wing ‘Azov’ battalion of the army has embraced liberal tolerance and is now commended by LGBTQ groups and authors. Some of the politicians who are pioneering Neo-Idealist approaches may be going through similar processes of change.”[xix]
Victory for the Neo-idealists is the acceptance of Liberalism with all that brings. As I have written elsewhere on numerous occasions, Liberalism divorces man from man, and man from God while giving real power in society to the powerful private interests who serve Mammon and not God. Power in society is supposed to be with the government, the civil authorities, who are directed in its proper use by the Church in accordance with the Divine Positive Law, the moral order, for the salvation of souls, for the fulfillment of the vocation of persons and the protection and improvement of families and societies so that they can reach their fulfillment. A society based on Liberalism is disordered, and disordered societies lead to disorder in individual lives and in the international community.
[i] See, for instance, “Ukraine was attacked and invaded. Many innocent civilians, women, children, and elderly people have been affected by the conflict, forced to live in shelters dug out of the earth to escape the bombs. Families have been divided as husbands, fathers, and grandparents remain in the fight, while wives, mothers, and grandmothers seek refuge after long journeys, hoping to cross the border to find shelter in other countries that receive them with open hearts.” Pope Francis. Against War: Building a Culture of Peace (p. 6). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.
[ii] See, for instance, “If we had memory, we would know that war, before it reaches the front lines, must be stopped in the heart. Hate, before it is too late, must be eradicated from hearts. And in order to do so, there is a need for dialogue, negotiation, listening, diplomatic skills and creativity, and farsighted politics capable of building a new system of coexistence that is no longer based on the power of weapons, but on deterrence. Every war is not only a defeat of politics but also a shameful surrender to the forces of evil. Pope Francis.” Against War: Building a Culture of Peace (pp. 7-8). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition; “Greed, intolerance, ambition for power, and violence are motives that push forward the decision for war, and these motives are often justified by a war ideology that forgets the immeasurable dignity of human life, of every human life, and the respect and care we owe them.” Pope Francis. Against War: Building a Culture of Peace (p. 8). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.
[iii] See, for instance, “We have disregarded the commitments we made as a community of nations. We have betrayed peoples’ dreams of peace and the hopes of the young. We grew sick with greed, we thought only of our own nations and their interests, we grew indifferent and caught up in our selfish needs and concerns. We chose to ignore God, to be satisfied with our illusions, to grow arrogant and aggressive, to suppress innocent lives and to stockpile weapons. We stopped being our neighbor’s keepers….” Pope Francis. Against War: Building a Culture of Peace (p. 11). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition
[iv] See, “It is now evident that good politics cannot come from the culture of power understood as domination and oppression, but only from a culture of care, care for the person and his or her dignity, and care for our common home. This is proven, unfortunately negatively, by the shameful war we are witnessing. I think that for those of you who belong to my generation it is unbearable to see what has happened and is happening in Ukraine. But unfortunately this is the fruit of the old logic of power that still dominates the so-called geopolitics. The history of the last seventy years shows that there has been no lack of regional wars; that’s why I said that we were in the Third World War in bits and pieces, all over the world, until we got to this one, which has a bigger dimension and threatens the whole world. But the basic problem is the same: the world continues to be governed as a “chessboard,” where the powerful study the moves to extend their dominance to the detriment of others.” Pope Francis. Against War: Building a Culture of Peace (p. 11-12). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.
[v] See, “It is now evident that good politics cannot come from the culture of power understood as domination and oppression, but only from a culture of care, care for the person and his or her dignity, and care for our common home. This is proven, unfortunately negatively, by the shameful war we are witnessing. I think that for those of you who belong to my generation it is unbearable to see what has happened and is happening in Ukraine. But unfortunately this is the fruit of the old logic of power that still dominates the so-called geopolitics. The history of the last seventy years shows that there has been no lack of regional wars; that’s why I said that we were in the Third World War in bits and pieces, all over the world, until we got to this one, which has a bigger dimension and threatens the whole world. But the basic problem is the same: the world continues to be governed as a “chessboard,” where the powerful study the moves to extend their dominance to the detriment of others.” Pope Francis. Against War: Building a Culture of Peace (p. 11-12). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.
[vi] See, “The real answer is not more weapons, more sanctions. I was ashamed when I read that a group of states has pledged to spend 2 percent, I believe, of their GDP on arms purchases, as a response to what is happening now. Madness! The real answer, as I said, is not more weapons, more sanctions, more political-military alliances, but a different approach, a different way to govern the world, now globalized—not by showing teeth, as now—but a different way to set up international relations. The model of care is already in place, thank God, but unfortunately it is still subservient to that of economic-technocratic-military power. Pope Francis. Against War: Building a Culture of Peace (p. 12).” Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.
[vii] See, “Once again humanity is threatened by a perverse abuse of power and partisan interests, which condemns defenseless people to suffer all forms of brutal violence. . . . Today more than ever it is urgent to review the style and effectiveness of the ars politica. In the face of the many changes we are witnessing at an international level, it is our duty to make possible “the development of a global community of fraternity based on the practice of social friendship on the part of peoples and nations” (Fratelli tutti, 154). Pope Francis. Against War: Building a Culture of Peace (p. 16). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.
[viii] See, “No people, no social group can single-handedly achieve peace, prosperity, security, and happiness. None. The lesson learned from the recent pandemic, if we wish to be honest, is “the awareness that we are a global community, all in the same boat, where one person’s problems are the problems of all. Once more we realized that no one is saved alone; we can only be saved together” (Fratelli tutti, 32)…..Fraternity, born of the realization that we are a single human family, must penetrate the life of peoples, communities, government leaders, and international assemblies. This will help everyone to understand that we can only be saved together through encounter and negotiation, setting aside our conflicts and pursuing reconciliation, moderating the language of politics and propaganda, and developing true paths of peace (see Fratelli tutti, 231).” Pope Francis. Against War: Building a Culture of Peace (p. 89). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.
[ix] See, “Fraternity Is Nourished by Solidarity Fraternal coexistence calls for patient and honest dialogue, protected by justice and respect for law. This task is not easy; it demands hard work and a commitment on the part of all to set aside rivalries and contrapositions and instead to speak with one another from our deepest identity as fellow children of the one God and Creator. On the basis of this principle, the Holy See, in Iraq as elsewhere, tirelessly appeals to competent authorities to grant all religious communities recognition, respect, rights, and protection. I appreciate the efforts already being made in this regard, and I join men and women of goodwill in calling for these efforts to continue for the benefit of the nation. A society that bears the imprint of fraternal unity is one whose members live in solidarity with one another. “Solidarity helps us to regard others . . . as our neighbors, companions on our journey” (Message for the 2021 World Day of Peace). It is a virtue that leads us to carry out concrete acts of care and service with particular concern for the vulnerable and those most in need. Here, I think of all those who have lost family members and loved ones, home and livelihood due to violence, persecution, or terrorism. I think too of those who continue to struggle for security and the means of personal and economic survival at a time of growing unemployment and poverty. The “consciousness that we are responsible for the fragility of others” (Fratelli tutti, 115) ought to inspire every effort to create concrete opportunities for progress, not only economically, but also in terms of education and care for our common home. Following a crisis, it is not enough simply to rebuild; we need to rebuild well, so that all can enjoy a dignified life. We never emerge from a crisis the same as we were; we emerge from it either better or worse….As governmental leaders and diplomats, you are called to foster this spirit of fraternal solidarity.” Pope Francis. Against War: Building a Culture of Peace (pp. 50-51). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.
[x] See, “What is true of peace in a social context is also true in the areas of politics and the economy, since peace permeates every dimension of life in common. There can be no true peace unless we show ourselves capable of developing a more just economic system. As Pope Benedict XVI said ten years ago in his Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, “In order to defeat underdevelopment, action is required not only on improving exchange-based transactions and implanting public welfare structures, but above all on gradually increasing openness, in a world context, to forms of economic activity marked by quotas of gratuitousness and communion” (no. 39).” Pope Francis. Against War: Building a Culture of Peace (p. 83). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.
[xi] See, “We need the baneful temptations of power and money to be swept from our hearts and from the Church. To cleanse our hearts, we need to dirty our hands, to feel accountable, and not to simply look on as our brothers and sisters are suffering. How do we purify our hearts? By our own efforts, we cannot; we need Jesus…..Peace Comes from the Cross Everyone who follows Christ receives true peace, the peace that Christ alone can give, a peace that the world cannot give.” Pope Francis. Against War: Building a Culture of Peace (pp. 67, 73). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.
[xii] See, “At this point, we may wonder: If I live as Jesus asks, What do I gain? Don’t I risk letting others lord it over me? Is Jesus’ invitation worthwhile or a lost cause? That invitation is not worthless, but wise. Jesus’ invitation is wise because love, which Pope Francis. …..is the heart of the Beatitudes, even if it seems weak in the world’s eyes, in fact always triumphs. On the cross, it proved stronger than sin; in the tomb, it vanquished death. That same love made the martyrs victorious in their trials—and how many martyrs have there been in the last century, more even than in the past! Love is our strength, the source of strength for those of our brothers and sisters who here too have suffered prejudice and indignities, mistreatment and persecutions for the name of Jesus”. Pope Francis. Against War: Building a Culture of Peace (p. 61). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.
[xiii] Pope Francis. Against War: Building a Culture of Peace (p. 36). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition; also, see footnote 6 above.
[xiv] From his bio on DGAP (German Council on Foreign Relations) webpage: “Dr. Benjamin Tallis joined DGAP in September 2022. He is a senior research fellow at the Alfred von Oppenheim Center for the Future of Europe and runs the project “Action Group Zeitenwende.“ He previously worked for the EU on security missions in Ukraine and the Balkans and was policy officer at the European Centre of Excellence for Civilian Crisis Management in Berlin.
“Tallis spent five years at the Institute of International Relations Prague where he headed the Centre for European Security, advised numerous European governments, edited the journal New Perspectives, and created the 2017 Prague Insecurity Conference. He worked at the Hertie School in Berlin and the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH). At the latter, he advised the German government on the future of European security and curated the 2019 Hamburg Insecurity Sessions. He contributed to the drafting of the 2016 EU Global Strategy and advised on visa liberalization for Ukraine in 2017.
“Tallis holds a doctorate from the University of Manchester, regularly appears in the media, and has been published in Foreign Policy, Politico, The Independent, and in leading academic journals including International Studies Quarterly, Security Dialogue, and Cooperation and Conflict. His book Identities, Borderscapes, Orders: (In)Security, (Im)Mobility, and Crisis in the Enlarged EU and its Eastern Neighborhood will be published by Springer in 2023.”
[xv] Benjamin Tallis, To Ukraine With Love: Essays on Russia’s War and Europe’s Future (pp. 106-133). Independently Published. Kindle Edition.
[xvi] Ibid.
[xvii] Ibid.
[xviii] Ibid.
[xix] Ibid.