Thank you for the explanation and reminder of the Church's teachings.
And thank you for the "actionable" todo list at the end. There's nothing more frustrating than "everything is going wrong" and not really knowing what to do about it.
Wonderful Catholic guidance to always put Christ first because He is King! As the closing prayer of the Divine Mercy Chaplet states “Eternal God, in Whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look
kindly upon us, and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments, we might not despair, nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Amen.”
Perhaps someone can help me understand the following:
“So, while we must pray for peace, we must also speak clearly: a nation does not have the moral right to wage war simply because it suspects it might be attacked.”
One must clearly understand the definition of “suspects it might be attacked” in light of the ongoing hostilities between an evangelical and expansionist Islam with their non-Islamic infidels.
It is not as if Israel has not been warned, the imminent threat of the intent and purpose of militant Islam to eradicate Israel from the “river to the sea” by whatever means possible, the more effective the better to eradicate Israel from Judea.
The summation of all horrors would be for Iran to deploy 3 maybe 5 nuclear weapons against Israel for which Iran was enriching uranium far more than what was required for power generation.
Strategically, Israel simply exploited a window of opportunity to preclude the final assembly and deployment of nuclear weapons by Iran. Granted the preemptive attack was not aligned with the letter of the laws for a just war but simply a conventional war (limited however disproportional) the far lesser of two evils than a nuclear war between Iran & Israel.
It has been shared recently that if Islam ends their war against their Little Satan and their Big Satan peace reigns throughout the Middle East. If Israel ends their war against Islam, Israel ceases to exist.
"1) Pray for peace. Not the peace of silence or appeasement – but true peace, born of justice."
AND work for peace.
"2) Reject unjust war. Do not be seduced by propaganda. Measure all things by the Gospel, not the news."
AND understand the war waged by terrorists that have done so much harm It is just to object to terrorism.
"3) Stand with the persecuted. Speak their names. Offer Masses for them. Tell their stories."
AND, this includes the stories of the Iranian people who have been persecuted for so long under an invalid Islamist government. Especially the many Christians. And welcome the brilliantly choreographed return of a Constitutional government to Iran.
"4) Resist the dragon’s deception. The Church is not China’s to rule; Christ alone is Head."
AND, understand the role of China in Iran. The supply of weapons and the instructions to bring down nations devoted to liberty and freedom. Understand the evil of Communism in its many forms.
"5) Reject false kings. Whether it’s an emperor in Beijing or a politician in Washington – Christ alone is King."
AND do not listen to those who falsely and cynically label others as "kings" in order to slander their legitimate role as elected leaders. This Marxist (and CCP linked) deception must be rejected.
"6) Entrust your heart to Christ. Keep His peace. Guard your soul."
AND rest in Christ, in his stillness, as worldly evil is vanquished from our lives.
Dear Bishop Joseph Strickland, We promise to send your letter to all our family, friends and to our Deacons, our Pastor, Fr Adam and to our Archbishop Sean McKnight. Thank you for your clarity in teaching the Catholic Catechism and urging us to pray the Rosary, attend Holy Mass and adore the Holy Eucharist in our Churches, have Masses offered for Peace and for all who are being persecuted and are dying for their Faith in their King, Jesus Christ! Thank you for your witness to Truth and for your courage in doing so. Our love & our prayers, Mary & Charles Martin
Amen, Christ is Kng. Yet, this war as with all recent Middle East wars is about a false theology that our government believes. This false theology was spoken by Ted Cruz in his interview with Tucker Carlson. “Those the bless Isreal will be blessed and those that curse Israel will be cursed.” This is why we will enter another war. Mike Huckabee, the USA ambassador to Israel sent a letter to President Trump encouraging him to listen and act on God’s voice in the “protection” of Israel.
The problem is the Protestant theology that has a foothold in our government. Nothing is going to dissuade Cruz from his belief as he sees it as heaven or hell.
I am a recent convert to Catholicism, although I have been a believer for forty years. Additionally, I am a Jewish Catholic, born to Jewish parents, and have experienced antisemitism in various situations, including from both Protestants and Catholics. I bring this up so you know my perspective from the outset. I have been reading your substack posts/emails for about 10 months now, and in general I have found them to be astute and based on Scripture and the Magisterium that I have been learning. However, numerous parts of this post seem unmoored from both. I will limit my comments to the topic of Israel and “unjust wars”.
First, let’s begin with your statement “A preemptive war – a war launched not in defense, but in anticipation – is not a just war.” Wow! You sound so authoritative in your attempt to base this on Catechism paragraph 2309. But, have you actually taken this to the logical conclusion? Are you truly saying that God, Himself, the Holy and Righteous God, was unjust? The early chapters of Joshua show God directing the Israelites to make (preemptive) war on the people living in the lands, blessing them with victory after victory. Was this unjust?
Continuing, you state, “As of this week, world leaders edge even closer to open conflict in the Middle East” and “a nation does not have the moral right to wage war simply because it suspects it might be might be attacked.”
Where have you been, Bishop Strickland? This round of “open conflict” began on October 7, 2023, with the rape, mutilation, and massacre of 1200 Israelis including infants through the elderly, not to mention the kidnapping of 250 others. Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and others are all proxies- directed, trained and supported by Iran. Understanding this you cannot claim this is a completely “preemptive war”, only a change from one front to another, the one where the root cause and main source of the aggression lies. This is not merely Israel suspecting it will be attacked. Now, does it meet the requirements of a just war as explained in CCC 2309?
Let me address each of the four conditions.
1- the damage by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain.
Already Iran trains and financially supports proxies which attack innocent civilians often, whether murdering them outright or kidnapping and torturing them. But, bringing this argument to the attack on Iran’s own military and nuclear sites, we must acknowledge that Iran has been calling for the destruction of the State of Israel for decades. The intelligence that Iran was so close to a nuclear weapon clearly meets the requirement that the damage would be lasting and grave.
2- all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective
The world, the UN and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been unable to keep Iran from pushing their nuclear pursuits beyond civilian purposes, making Iran and the volatile Ayatollah, ever more likely to finally gain a nuclear weapon, and then, to use it to destroy Israel, the “little Satan” or to attack American bases, the “big Satan.”
3- there must be serious prospects of success
Israel is quite careful about taking military action, and would not have undertaken such a bold move without a belief they would succeed. There is too much backlash to risk, otherwise. Israel is far from perfect, however they are incredibly careful when it comes to military action, following the highest protocols to preserve life. Can you name another country that calls civilians in an area ahead of an attack and tells them to evacuate in case their home is in the attack radius? And, yes, even with the precise attacks on military sites in Tehran, they made such calls and hacked into radio and tv stations with warnings. Additionally, Israel’s leaders know that any actions by Israel will have effects worldwide against Jews living in the diaspora (outside Israel).
4- the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.
I barely feel the need to even comment on this point. The evil to be eliminated is a volatile, genocidal dictator gaining the ability to destroy Israel with a nuclear weapon, which by its very nature would also kill or sicken many other people, destroying the land for food production, killing/sickening all the animals, and doing untold damage to regional waters and ocean life. This is at the bare minimum, not accounting for winds pushing the radioactive cloud further than intended, or the possibility that it would set off a nuclear response, and many other trickle down effects. Obviously, the precise strikes on nuclear sites, nuclear scientists, and top military leaders and military sites creates less evil, less grave results than allowing Iran to gain nuclear weapons.
You conclude with an exhortation, telling us “We are not called to be indifferent. We are not called to hide. We are called to watch, to pray, and to speak the truth with the fire of love and the clarity of faith.” I completely agree with you on this, which is why I have written this response. But, I encourage you to take your own advice, and carefully guard your heart from the “seduction of propaganda”. Please seek the wisdom of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you read and comment on the Middle East and Israel. Your message comes across as biased against Israel and in favor of those who call for her extermination. Twice in this post you referred to the “cries of Gaza”, but never the cries of the Israelis. I tried to find a post regarding the October 7th massacre, or a call for Hamas to release the hostages, but found nothing. Are the cries of the Jews less worthy of compassion than those of the Arabs? Are you choosing to believe the numbers of fatalities and the (proven) lies from Hamas, over the numbers from Jewish sources? Where are your calls for Hamas to release the remaining hostages, to stop shooting their own people, stop using them as human shields, or stop using hospitals and schools as missile launching sites? It is Hamas, and ultimately Iran and other radical Islamists who are causing the cries in Gaza, not the Israelis. If Hamas had not stolen and redirected all aid and building materials for years into creating a city of tunnels beneath Gaza, there would be no need to continue pummeling Gaza. But, Hamas has made themselves an existential threat and only fools would allow it to continue. And, if the world, including Catholic leaders would have pressured Hamas to release the hostages unconditionally, many more might still be alive today.
With great respect Bishop, Iran 🇮🇷 and its paid surrogates have been attacking US ships and troops for years. Their actions are on open display! This military action would NOT be preemptive whatsoever
I agree with the bishop that the role of the clergy is to lead their flock. This premise of this post leads me to believe that we are being ruled by a King and that the rules of just war have not been met. I offer nothing has been done to indicate rule by a King. The courts have issued injunctions, some overtly political, that have been followed by this administration. The border and student loan forgiveness are two behaviors of the past that represent a King. Regarding just war, the only country at war in the ME is Israel currently. The proxies of Iran have indiscriminately attacked Israel. Regarding America and Iran, Iran’s proxies have attacked America since 1979. Iran has declared America the great Satan. This does not represent picking a fight for the heck of it.
I submit the flock should discern these difficult issues in the context of Catholic teaching. The flock has been misled enough for the last 12 years.
You are our holy gift reminding us of 2,000+ years of majesty, Kingship, holiness, humility, trust. Your words are a lamp unto our souls. We open the gift of 'you' and marvel at its contents! Thank you, our blessed Shepherd!
Dear Bishop, please remember that Iran 🇮🇷 has put out a statement asking for the DEATH of our Commander in Chief and at least one set of men from Persia have already been apprehended inside our nation for trying to kill him. Several other men and women from our government have also been targeted for death by Iran This is truly an attack on our government and our country
Thank you for the explanation and reminder of the Church's teachings.
And thank you for the "actionable" todo list at the end. There's nothing more frustrating than "everything is going wrong" and not really knowing what to do about it.
Wonderful Catholic guidance to always put Christ first because He is King! As the closing prayer of the Divine Mercy Chaplet states “Eternal God, in Whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look
kindly upon us, and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments, we might not despair, nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Amen.”
Perhaps someone can help me understand the following:
“So, while we must pray for peace, we must also speak clearly: a nation does not have the moral right to wage war simply because it suspects it might be attacked.”
One must clearly understand the definition of “suspects it might be attacked” in light of the ongoing hostilities between an evangelical and expansionist Islam with their non-Islamic infidels.
It is not as if Israel has not been warned, the imminent threat of the intent and purpose of militant Islam to eradicate Israel from the “river to the sea” by whatever means possible, the more effective the better to eradicate Israel from Judea.
The summation of all horrors would be for Iran to deploy 3 maybe 5 nuclear weapons against Israel for which Iran was enriching uranium far more than what was required for power generation.
Strategically, Israel simply exploited a window of opportunity to preclude the final assembly and deployment of nuclear weapons by Iran. Granted the preemptive attack was not aligned with the letter of the laws for a just war but simply a conventional war (limited however disproportional) the far lesser of two evils than a nuclear war between Iran & Israel.
It has been shared recently that if Islam ends their war against their Little Satan and their Big Satan peace reigns throughout the Middle East. If Israel ends their war against Islam, Israel ceases to exist.
Total agreement. Thank you.
In response...
"1) Pray for peace. Not the peace of silence or appeasement – but true peace, born of justice."
AND work for peace.
"2) Reject unjust war. Do not be seduced by propaganda. Measure all things by the Gospel, not the news."
AND understand the war waged by terrorists that have done so much harm It is just to object to terrorism.
"3) Stand with the persecuted. Speak their names. Offer Masses for them. Tell their stories."
AND, this includes the stories of the Iranian people who have been persecuted for so long under an invalid Islamist government. Especially the many Christians. And welcome the brilliantly choreographed return of a Constitutional government to Iran.
"4) Resist the dragon’s deception. The Church is not China’s to rule; Christ alone is Head."
AND, understand the role of China in Iran. The supply of weapons and the instructions to bring down nations devoted to liberty and freedom. Understand the evil of Communism in its many forms.
"5) Reject false kings. Whether it’s an emperor in Beijing or a politician in Washington – Christ alone is King."
AND do not listen to those who falsely and cynically label others as "kings" in order to slander their legitimate role as elected leaders. This Marxist (and CCP linked) deception must be rejected.
"6) Entrust your heart to Christ. Keep His peace. Guard your soul."
AND rest in Christ, in his stillness, as worldly evil is vanquished from our lives.
Dear Bishop Joseph Strickland, We promise to send your letter to all our family, friends and to our Deacons, our Pastor, Fr Adam and to our Archbishop Sean McKnight. Thank you for your clarity in teaching the Catholic Catechism and urging us to pray the Rosary, attend Holy Mass and adore the Holy Eucharist in our Churches, have Masses offered for Peace and for all who are being persecuted and are dying for their Faith in their King, Jesus Christ! Thank you for your witness to Truth and for your courage in doing so. Our love & our prayers, Mary & Charles Martin
Amen, Christ is Kng. Yet, this war as with all recent Middle East wars is about a false theology that our government believes. This false theology was spoken by Ted Cruz in his interview with Tucker Carlson. “Those the bless Isreal will be blessed and those that curse Israel will be cursed.” This is why we will enter another war. Mike Huckabee, the USA ambassador to Israel sent a letter to President Trump encouraging him to listen and act on God’s voice in the “protection” of Israel.
The problem is the Protestant theology that has a foothold in our government. Nothing is going to dissuade Cruz from his belief as he sees it as heaven or hell.
Dear Bishop Strickland,
I am a recent convert to Catholicism, although I have been a believer for forty years. Additionally, I am a Jewish Catholic, born to Jewish parents, and have experienced antisemitism in various situations, including from both Protestants and Catholics. I bring this up so you know my perspective from the outset. I have been reading your substack posts/emails for about 10 months now, and in general I have found them to be astute and based on Scripture and the Magisterium that I have been learning. However, numerous parts of this post seem unmoored from both. I will limit my comments to the topic of Israel and “unjust wars”.
First, let’s begin with your statement “A preemptive war – a war launched not in defense, but in anticipation – is not a just war.” Wow! You sound so authoritative in your attempt to base this on Catechism paragraph 2309. But, have you actually taken this to the logical conclusion? Are you truly saying that God, Himself, the Holy and Righteous God, was unjust? The early chapters of Joshua show God directing the Israelites to make (preemptive) war on the people living in the lands, blessing them with victory after victory. Was this unjust?
Continuing, you state, “As of this week, world leaders edge even closer to open conflict in the Middle East” and “a nation does not have the moral right to wage war simply because it suspects it might be might be attacked.”
Where have you been, Bishop Strickland? This round of “open conflict” began on October 7, 2023, with the rape, mutilation, and massacre of 1200 Israelis including infants through the elderly, not to mention the kidnapping of 250 others. Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and others are all proxies- directed, trained and supported by Iran. Understanding this you cannot claim this is a completely “preemptive war”, only a change from one front to another, the one where the root cause and main source of the aggression lies. This is not merely Israel suspecting it will be attacked. Now, does it meet the requirements of a just war as explained in CCC 2309?
Let me address each of the four conditions.
1- the damage by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain.
Already Iran trains and financially supports proxies which attack innocent civilians often, whether murdering them outright or kidnapping and torturing them. But, bringing this argument to the attack on Iran’s own military and nuclear sites, we must acknowledge that Iran has been calling for the destruction of the State of Israel for decades. The intelligence that Iran was so close to a nuclear weapon clearly meets the requirement that the damage would be lasting and grave.
2- all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective
The world, the UN and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been unable to keep Iran from pushing their nuclear pursuits beyond civilian purposes, making Iran and the volatile Ayatollah, ever more likely to finally gain a nuclear weapon, and then, to use it to destroy Israel, the “little Satan” or to attack American bases, the “big Satan.”
3- there must be serious prospects of success
Israel is quite careful about taking military action, and would not have undertaken such a bold move without a belief they would succeed. There is too much backlash to risk, otherwise. Israel is far from perfect, however they are incredibly careful when it comes to military action, following the highest protocols to preserve life. Can you name another country that calls civilians in an area ahead of an attack and tells them to evacuate in case their home is in the attack radius? And, yes, even with the precise attacks on military sites in Tehran, they made such calls and hacked into radio and tv stations with warnings. Additionally, Israel’s leaders know that any actions by Israel will have effects worldwide against Jews living in the diaspora (outside Israel).
4- the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.
I barely feel the need to even comment on this point. The evil to be eliminated is a volatile, genocidal dictator gaining the ability to destroy Israel with a nuclear weapon, which by its very nature would also kill or sicken many other people, destroying the land for food production, killing/sickening all the animals, and doing untold damage to regional waters and ocean life. This is at the bare minimum, not accounting for winds pushing the radioactive cloud further than intended, or the possibility that it would set off a nuclear response, and many other trickle down effects. Obviously, the precise strikes on nuclear sites, nuclear scientists, and top military leaders and military sites creates less evil, less grave results than allowing Iran to gain nuclear weapons.
You conclude with an exhortation, telling us “We are not called to be indifferent. We are not called to hide. We are called to watch, to pray, and to speak the truth with the fire of love and the clarity of faith.” I completely agree with you on this, which is why I have written this response. But, I encourage you to take your own advice, and carefully guard your heart from the “seduction of propaganda”. Please seek the wisdom of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you read and comment on the Middle East and Israel. Your message comes across as biased against Israel and in favor of those who call for her extermination. Twice in this post you referred to the “cries of Gaza”, but never the cries of the Israelis. I tried to find a post regarding the October 7th massacre, or a call for Hamas to release the hostages, but found nothing. Are the cries of the Jews less worthy of compassion than those of the Arabs? Are you choosing to believe the numbers of fatalities and the (proven) lies from Hamas, over the numbers from Jewish sources? Where are your calls for Hamas to release the remaining hostages, to stop shooting their own people, stop using them as human shields, or stop using hospitals and schools as missile launching sites? It is Hamas, and ultimately Iran and other radical Islamists who are causing the cries in Gaza, not the Israelis. If Hamas had not stolen and redirected all aid and building materials for years into creating a city of tunnels beneath Gaza, there would be no need to continue pummeling Gaza. But, Hamas has made themselves an existential threat and only fools would allow it to continue. And, if the world, including Catholic leaders would have pressured Hamas to release the hostages unconditionally, many more might still be alive today.
Respectfully,
Kathi Kreider
With great respect Bishop, Iran 🇮🇷 and its paid surrogates have been attacking US ships and troops for years. Their actions are on open display! This military action would NOT be preemptive whatsoever
I agree with the bishop that the role of the clergy is to lead their flock. This premise of this post leads me to believe that we are being ruled by a King and that the rules of just war have not been met. I offer nothing has been done to indicate rule by a King. The courts have issued injunctions, some overtly political, that have been followed by this administration. The border and student loan forgiveness are two behaviors of the past that represent a King. Regarding just war, the only country at war in the ME is Israel currently. The proxies of Iran have indiscriminately attacked Israel. Regarding America and Iran, Iran’s proxies have attacked America since 1979. Iran has declared America the great Satan. This does not represent picking a fight for the heck of it.
I submit the flock should discern these difficult issues in the context of Catholic teaching. The flock has been misled enough for the last 12 years.
Respectfully.
dear Bishop, l do honestly believe that the 4 strict conditions apply to the israel/Iran war.
danger was imminent, concrete, and negotiations were void and bound to failure.
air born fights are localised. a prayer
Please don’t be taken in by the hate-mongers. President Trump rejects the notion that he is King. He’s put his life at risk to save America.
Amén 🙏🏻
Please edit this article and omit the line “Iran’s aggression, Israel’s retaliation.” You have it backwards, and yes, it makes a big difference.
Piercing truth, THANK you! Amen!
You are our holy gift reminding us of 2,000+ years of majesty, Kingship, holiness, humility, trust. Your words are a lamp unto our souls. We open the gift of 'you' and marvel at its contents! Thank you, our blessed Shepherd!
Dear Bishop, please remember that Iran 🇮🇷 has put out a statement asking for the DEATH of our Commander in Chief and at least one set of men from Persia have already been apprehended inside our nation for trying to kill him. Several other men and women from our government have also been targeted for death by Iran This is truly an attack on our government and our country