Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who heads the Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, said in a statement Wednesday (Dec. 3) that an order to kill survivors of an attack by U.S. forces on a boat in the Caribbean would be wrong if they posed no immediate danger to those forces.,Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who heads the Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, said in a statement Wednesday (Dec. 3) that an order to kill survivors of an attack by U.S. forces on a boat in the Caribbean would be wrong if they posed no immediate danger to those forces.
11 days ago
The Catholic military archbishop has issued a strong condemnation, declaring the intentional killing of noncombatants as both illegal and immoral.1
This pronouncement underscores the Church's ethical framework on warfare, emphasizing protections for civilians in conflict zones.1
Such statements align with longstanding Catholic teachings on just war theory, which prohibit targeting innocents.1
The archbishop's role in serving military personnel highlights efforts to guide ethical decision-making amid global tensions.1
Published on December 4, 2025, the remarks come shortly after Pope Leo XIV's election, potentially signaling continuity in the Church's moral authority on international issues.1
Is intentional killing of noncombatants prohibited by Catholic moral teaching?
Catholic moral teaching unequivocally prohibits the intentional killing of noncombatants, viewing it as a grave violation of the Fifth Commandment, "You shall not kill," which safeguards the inviolable dignity of every human person as created in God's image. This prohibition stems from the Church's understanding of human life as a sacred gift from God, extending to all circumstances, including warfare, where the distinction between combatants and innocents must be rigorously upheld. Drawing from Scripture, the Catechism, and papal encyclicals, the Church condemns such acts as intrinsically evil, equating them to murder and calling for moral resistance against them.
At the heart of Catholic teaching is the recognition that human life is sacred and inviolable from conception to natural death, reflecting God's creative action and lordship over life. The commandment "You shall not kill" (Ex 20:13) is presented in Sacred Scripture as a divine precept that prohibits the direct destruction of innocent human life in any circumstance. God alone is the Lord of life, and no one may claim the right to destroy an innocent human being, as this would usurp divine authority. This truth is echoed in the covenant after the Flood, where God demands an accounting for human life: "From man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an accounting for human life" (Gen 9:5), underscoring that life is not subject to human will but belongs to the Creator.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church reinforces this by integrating the prohibition against murder into the broader covenant between God and humanity, which repeatedly condemns murderous violence as a betrayal of that sacred bond. The inviolability of life is inscribed in the human conscience, as seen in God's question to Cain after the murder of Abel: "What have you done?" (Gen 4:10), a reminder that echoes through every violation of life's dignity. This commandment not only forbids homicide but extends to all forms of intentional harm, prohibiting personal injury and emphasizing responsibility for one's neighbor: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Lev 19:18). In the New Testament, this reaches its perfection in Christ's teaching, which perfects the Old Testament's appeal for respect of physical life and personal integrity.
While the Church acknowledges the legitimacy of self-defense and just war theory—where force may be used proportionally to protect the common good and innocent life—the intentional targeting of noncombatants is never permissible. The legitimate defense of persons and societies does not constitute an exception to the ban on murdering the innocent; any act of self-defense that results in killing must intend the preservation of life, not the aggressor's death as an end in itself.
In wartime, this principle demands the humane treatment of noncombatants, wounded soldiers, and prisoners, prohibiting actions that deliberately contravene international law and universal moral principles. Such violations, including the extermination of peoples, nations, or ethnic minorities, are condemned as mortal sins, and individuals are morally obligated to resist orders commanding genocide. The Church has long decried the horrors of modern warfare, where mechanical instruments strike not only armies but also civilians, innocent children, women, the aged, and sacred sites, inspiring profound horror in any thinking person.
Papal teaching consistently highlights the abyss of evil in war's impact on the innocent. Every war leaves the world worse, failing politics and humanity, and often treats civilian deaths as mere "collateral damage," urging us to hear the stories of victims—refugees, those affected by chemical attacks, mothers who lost children—to grasp war's true depravity. In recent conflicts, the blurring of military and civilian targets has led to indiscriminate strikes, as seen in events like those in Ukraine and Gaza, where violations of humanitarian law constitute war crimes that must be prevented, not just noted. Civilian victims are not expendable; they are persons with names and dignity, demanding proportionate force even in legitimate defense.
The Church critiques overly broad interpretations of just war criteria, warning that justifications for "preventive" attacks or those causing greater evils than they eliminate are invalid, especially with weapons of mass destruction that endanger countless innocents. Acts like indiscriminate bombing, targeting hospitals or residential areas, or killing unarmed prisoners cannot be legitimate military tactics but are acts of terror, usurping God's authority over life and death. Secret warfare, terrorism, hostage-taking, and reprisals against the unarmed further embitter conflicts and close paths to peace, flouting civilized moral sensibilities.
Recent Church statements continue this condemnation, as in responses to violence in regions like Nigeria, where relentless attacks on defenseless communities prompt calls for justice, peace, and solidarity, echoing God's faithfulness amid human violence from Cain's fratricide to modern wars and discrimination. The Church's consistent voice—from Pius XII's lament over Poland's noncombatant suffering to Francis's plea to "never again war"—affirms that while aggression may be resisted, the intentional killing of noncombatants remains a profound moral failing.
In summary, Catholic moral teaching absolutely prohibits the intentional killing of noncombatants, rooting this in the sacredness of life, the Fifth Commandment, and the demands of justice in all human endeavors, including war. This stance calls believers to pursue peace, resist evil orders, and advocate for the vulnerable, trusting in God's plan of love over the instincts of violence.