Just War and Non-Resistance
John Michael Talbot - Friday, September 14, 2001

Brothers and Sisters,

Some have responded negatively to my earlier E-mail letters concerning our response to the National Tragedy. I am sorry for having offended some of you because of my position on what God might be trying to say to us as a culture. But I must speak the truth of Christ as I see it. Let me briefly clarify some things:

Let me reiterate that I am deeply moved in prayer for the victims of this cowardly act of terror, and their family, friends, and loved ones. I am profoundly moved by the incredible response of the police, firefighters, and citizens of our country, and of those around the world, who have sacrificed even to the point of death in their service of others. Their brothers and sisters who continue to respond are an amazing example for us all. The religious response of interfaith respect and cooperation is most encouraging. Let me mention in a special way Fr. Mike, the Franciscan who gave his life while ministering last rites, and Cardinal Egan of New York, who is such an inspiration to his flock, and those of the Faith throughout the world. I am moved beyond words by the positive example of all of these.

I am deeply concerned about the calls for revenge, hatred, and interfaith intolerance. These must be addressed strongly, but lovingly. Our response must be as Christ Himself would respond, and for the sake of mercy and justice instead of hatred and revenge.

I personally hold to a position of Christian nonresistance and religious non violence that is traceable to the earliest Church, the Franciscan movement, and much of today's religious movement. I have always been open about my convictions. I do not expect everyone to agree. They never have. The Church praises those who stand for the strict non resistance of Jesus, yet allows for a just defense, keeping in mind the full conditions of the Just War. As a Catholic community we hold the same position.

Some of those conditions are:

That the victim never seeks revenge, but justice, which has its roots on mercy.
That the borders, or body, of a nation, home, or person, have been violated.
That all other attempts for a peaceful resolution have been tried, and exhausted.
That any response of force is proportionate to the initial attack.
That there be no indiscriminate loss of civilian life, or property in the response. It seems clear to me that the last three are going to be our challenge.
As to the other aspects of my comments: I do expect our community of the Brothers and Sisters of Charity to also be humble enough to do some healthy introspection about what God may be saying to us about our lifestyle, and how it could have fanned the flames of violence in other parts of the world. This is a biblical response, and one that the prophets always called for in such times. That does not justify the violence of terrorism or aggression, but we must also come to our knees in repentance before God before we can be instruments of justice of peace.

This position seems rather reasonable to me. I ask forgiveness if I committed offense in communicating it poorly in earlier e-mail letters. I am sorry if the position itself is offensive, but the Gospel sometimes has this effect on the world. I understand immediate reactions of interior vengeance and violence. But we must give these up if we are to really follow Jesus Christ in this tragic hour.

May we all be instruments of true justice and peace in this violent situation. This can only be found in God. As Christians, we hold a special reverence for the teachings of Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount. As Catholics we hold a special place within for the teaching of the Church. As Brothers and Sisters of Charity, we try to live the Charity of Christ in an extra ordinary way, so all of the world does not give way to hatred, revenge, and violence, even when done in the name of justice.

John Michael Talbot