13/05/2026
ICBโs third edition of Salon Veritatis centred around a hot topic that returned to public attention due to recent geopolitical affairs. โ๏ธ When are wars โjustโ, and what does the Church teach about the right & wrong causes of war? Many members of the ICB community from different ages, nationalities and professional backgrounds came together for this discussion. ๐
The evening was a lively combination of theology, deep conversations, and fellowship & socialising among old and new friends. ๐ฅ
After wrapping up the evening with Regina Caeli in the night church, some friends headed together to the city centre to join the rest of the city in celebrating the Iris Festival โ๏ธ
๐ Here is a recap of the presentation on this interesting topic, provided by Br Jason Mary Joseph OP:
When is War Just? That was the theme of our Salon Veritatis 3 with International Catholics in Brussels. The recent exchange between Pope Leo XIV and J.D. Vance gave the question fresh urgency. The point wasn't to resolve every debate but to show the breadth of how Catholics have thought about war, peace, and justice across time, cultures, and circumstances.
We started with Jesus' own words: blessing the peacemakers, calling us to turn the other cheek, rebuking Peter for reaching for a sword. We also read Romans 13, where Paul acknowledges that governing authority "does not bear the sword in vain." Then we looked at how the Church has wrestled with the tension betweenthe commandment not to kill and the reality of living in a world where evil exists and the innocent need protection.
Then we looked at how the Church has wrestled with the tension between the commandment not to kill and the reality of living in a world where evil exists and the innocent need protection. We mentioned how recent popes have spoken into this space โ from John Paul II's experience of occupation and resistance, to Benedict XVI's gratitude for those who fought tyranny, to Francis's call to rethink whether older frameworks still apply, to Leo XIV's sharp reminder that God does not bless conflict.
The tradition itself evolved. Early Christians largely embraced pacifism. After Constantine, the Church faced the reality of defending a Christian empire. Augustine distinguished private vengeance, never justified, from public defense of the innocent, sometimes necessary. Aquinas sharpened the criteria. Cicero's ancient framework, Francisco de Vitoria's insistence that faith cannot justify conquest, and modern developments like humanitarian intervention all entered the conversation.
Different ethical approaches shaped the discussion. Realism focuses on power and national interest. Pacifism rejects violence absolutely. Consequentialism weighs outcomes. Deontology insists on moral rules that cannot be broken. Just War Theory stands in the middle, accepting that force can sometimes be necessary while insisting on serious moral limits.
We also brushed on some of the tough modern realities: asymmetric conflicts, the tension between serving one's country and following one's conscience, and the moral weight of preventive or preemptive action. It wasn't about finding easy answers, but about learning to think faithfully in a complicated world. Grateful for a group that can wrestle with hard things together, in charity and hope.
