On the 30th of June, the Justice and Peace Commission in the Holy Land issued a document which highlights the weaponization of the doctrine of “Just War” to justify the ongoing violence in Gaza. The Commission stated, “As Catholics in the Holy Land, who share Pope Francis’ vision for a peaceful world, we are outraged that political actors in Israel and abroad are mobilizing the theory of ‘just war’ in order to perpetuate and legitimate the ongoing war in Gaza.” The Commission remarked that the “witness that we bring is not one of war, but one of transformational love, one of freedom and equality, one of justice and peace, one of dialogue and reconciliation.”
• God of love, we confess our sins for all the ways we misuse your name and twist our faith to justify violence and oppression. Lord, help us witness your love by correcting all theologies which justify so much suffering and sin, and turn to theologies of love. We thank you for the Justice and Faith Commission and pray that other faith leaders and commissions follow their example.
Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer