Issues of war in the Catholic social doctrine: conditions of legal protection
Abstract
A religious studies analysis of the provisions of the Catholic social doctrine regarding the issue of war was carried out in view of the context of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine. It is noted that the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, as well as its Catechism, refers to the conditions of legal defense rather than righteous war. Such conditions are defined and substantiated based on the mentality of Christian peoples, representatives of the Euro-Atlantic circle of civilization. It was found that the guidelines on the legal defense and waging of war in general do not provide comprehensive recipes in a situation where the attacker practically disregards all Christian norms, but they clearly outline the appropriate Christian attitude to the issue of war, and allow the use of force as the last argument against the aggressors. The vicissitudes of Russia's modern war against Ukraine, in particular its hybrid characteristics, encourage specifications and additions to the Catholic social doctrine. In this process, it is necessary to take into account the reflections of Ukrainian Catholic priests on this issue, based on the understanding of the practical experience of the current reality.
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