03/01/2026
Statement of Old Catholic Churches International on the War in Iran
No. 2026022801
February 28, 2026
The Old Catholic Churches International issues this statement in response to the major military attacks launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, and Iran’s retaliatory strikes that are now spreading fear and death across the region.
We speak first as pastors, to the faithful who are anxious, to families who are glued to the news, to veterans whose bodies remember what headlines sanitize, and to every person whose heart is breaking as the numbers of dead and wounded rise. The Church’s concern is not theoretical. It is flesh and blood, children, neighbors, and the poor who always pay first.
1) A strongly worded moral judgment: this escalation is a grave evil
OCCI condemns, in the strongest possible terms, this widening war and the predictable expansion of human suffering it brings. Whatever political justifications are offered, the reality on the ground is that war rapidly becomes its own logic, more strikes, more retaliation, more civilian terror, more burial, more hatred handed to the next generation.
As we have said before, the choice to “answer” atrocity or threat with missiles that cause further death and damage is also morally wrong, because it does not heal the underlying wounds and instead multiplies them.
2) The protection of civilians is not optional, it is a moral test
Reports already describe extensive attacks and retaliatory strikes across the region, with significant civilian casualties claimed and humanitarian response underway. Even when facts are contested in the fog of war, this much is certain: the moral burden to protect civilians is immediate, not “later,” and not “if convenient.”
We therefore call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, de-escalation by all parties, and an urgent return to diplomacy under legitimate international frameworks.
3) The Church rejects the lie that violence will end violence
Our own teaching warns that when we embrace violence to stop violence, we risk becoming what we claim to oppose. Christians are commanded to resist vengeance and the cycle of retaliation.
Holy Scripture is not silent:
“Blessed are the peacemakers.” (Matthew 5:9)
“Seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14)
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares…” (Isaiah 2:4)
4) A warning against hatred and dehumanization
We also warn, pastorally and plainly, against the spiritual poison that always accompanies war: scapegoating, dehumanization, and calls for collective punishment. Christians must not treat Iranian civilians, Jewish communities, Muslim communities, or anyone else as targets for blame, harassment, or violence. The Gospel does not permit it, and the Church will not excuse it.
5) Call to action for the faithful and all people of goodwill
Prayer: Pray for the people of Iran, Israel, and all nations now being drawn into this conflict. Pray for civilians, refugees, the wounded, and the dead. Pray for leaders to repent of violence and choose the hard work of peace.
Advocacy: Contact your elected representatives to demand restraint, lawful accountability, humanitarian access, and a diplomacy-first course, rather than open-ended escalation.
Concrete mercy: Support reputable humanitarian relief and be prepared, as parishes, missions, and individuals, to help displaced families and those suffering trauma. The Church exists to make the Kingdom visible by protecting human dignity, especially when states and armies forget it.
Conclusion
Silence is not an option. The Church must never become accustomed to war, nor should the world accept the normalization of state violence as routine policy. We urge an immediate end to this escalation before it becomes a regional catastrophe that history will condemn and the poor will carry.
May the Lord of Peace guide the nations away from slaughter and toward repentance, restraint, and reconciliation.
+ The Right Rev. Gregory (Greer) Godsey, OSFoc
Presiding Bishop, Old Catholic Churches International
