Church leaders call for immediate ceasefire after drone kills over 100 civilians — including 63 children — in Sudan
Drone strikes in Kalogi, South Kordofan region of Sudan, killed over 100 civilians, including 63 children, on December 4. The strikes targeted an al-Hanan kindergarten during classes, a rural hospital treating the injured, and a government facility. A Catholic bishop in South Sudan condemned the violence, stating there is no respect for human life in the war. A second drone reportedly struck people gathered to assist the initial victims. The Sudan Doctors Network and the army accused the Rapid Support Forces of carrying out the attack.
5 days ago
On December 4, 2025, drone strikes targeted the town of Kalogi in South Kordofan's al-Hanan kindergarten, rural hospital, and a government facility, killing at least 116 civilians, including 63 children.1
A second drone struck responders aiding the victims, described as a "suicide drone attack" by the Sudan Doctors Network.1
Communication blackouts and access challenges may mean the death toll is higher, complicating casualty verification and medical aid delivery.1
The Sudan Doctors Network and Sudanese army accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of the attack amid Sudan's civil war, which began in April 2023 between the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces.1
The conflict, driven by greed for resources and power, has seen military movements in Kordofan, including RSF takeovers and advances toward South Sudan's border.1
Church leaders view the war as senseless, with no blessings in prolonged fighting.1
Bishop Christian Carlassare of Bentiu, South Sudan, appealed for an immediate ceasefire, respect for human life, and dialogue among conflict parties.1
He urged South Sudan to mediate rather than intervene, noting the war's spillover effects on his oil-rich diocese and the region.1
The late Bishop Max Macram Gassis's Sudan Relief Fund, tied to the Catholic Church, continues providing food, medicine, and aid in affected areas like South Kordofan despite risks.1
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned the attacks on civilians and health facilities, verifying 198 such incidents since April 2023 that killed 1,735 people.1
He called for an end to violence and better humanitarian access, stating Sudanese people have suffered enough and demanding "Ceasefire now!"1
UNICEF Representative Sheldon Yett emphasized that children should not bear conflict's cost, urging parties to halt attacks and ensure unhindered aid.1
The war has displaced over 14 million people—30% of Sudan's population—creating one of the world's worst crises, with 30 million needing assistance.1
Famine, cholera, and refugee flows to Chad highlight the dire situation, as seen in camps where children like 6-year-old Mnasoura Mostafa and 10-year-old Moltazem Mohamed dream of returning home.1
Ongoing fighting exacerbates humanity's siege by power struggles, with church and global voices pushing for peace to protect vulnerable populations.1
Examine the Catholic Church’s moral response to civilian drone warfare
The Catholic Church approaches the moral challenges of civilian drone warfare through the lens of just war theory, emphasizing the inherent dignity of human life, the protection of innocents, and the need for ethical restraint in technological advancements. Drone warfare, which often involves remote or autonomous systems targeting areas with potential civilian presence, raises profound concerns about detachment from the human cost of violence, the risk of indiscriminate harm, and the delegation of life-and-death decisions to machines. Drawing from papal teachings, Vatican documents, and episcopal statements, the Church consistently condemns practices that erode moral responsibility and calls for international prohibitions on lethal autonomous systems while advocating for human oversight and peace through dialogue. This response underscores that true security arises not from escalating arms but from fraternity and respect for the vulnerable.
At its core, the Church's moral teaching on warfare balances the right to legitimate self-defense with strict ethical limits, a tradition rooted in St. Thomas Aquinas and developed by subsequent popes. Just war doctrine empowers political leaders to protect society from grave threats but imposes restraints to prevent abuse, particularly in an era where technologies like drones can make violence seem more precise yet often more detached and pervasive. Pope Paul VI exemplified this duality in his 1965 address to the United Nations, declaring "never again war," while acknowledging that "defense arms will, alas! be necessary" as long as human weakness persists. This restraint is crucial in drone warfare, where remote operations can lessen the "perception of the devastation caused" and foster a "cold and detached approach to the immense tragedy of war."
The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church reinforces that the use of force must align with international humanitarian law, especially the duty to protect innocent victims who cannot defend themselves. In internal conflicts, where drones are increasingly deployed, civilians are often targeted or caught in crossfire under guises like "ethnic cleansing," which the Church deems always unacceptable. Pope John Paul II applied this to Sudan's civil war, urging leaders to "put aside the arms of war and pursue the path of peace," rooted in God's command to respect every person's dignity, especially the weak. Drone strikes, by enabling strikes from afar, risk violating the jus in bello principles of discrimination (distinguishing combatants from non-combatants) and proportionality (ensuring harm does not outweigh benefits), turning defense into indiscriminate aggression.
The Church has issued pointed critiques of drone warfare, particularly when it incorporates artificial intelligence (AI), viewing such systems as a "cause for grave ethical concern" due to their potential to operate without human moral judgment. Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS), which can identify and strike targets independently, epitomize this danger, as they lack the "unique human capacity for moral judgment and ethical decision-making." Pope Francis has warned that no machine should "choose to take the life of a human being," calling for greater human control and a prohibition on their development. This extends to semi-autonomous drones used in targeted killings, where AI's analytical power might aid security but risks "weaponization" that precipitates arms races and erodes the war-as-last-resort principle.
In the 2025 document Antiqua et Nova, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith highlights how drones and LAWS detach warfare from human agency, potentially violating international humanitarian law (IHL) by failing to ensure compliance. Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, speaking for the Holy See at the UN, urged a moratorium on LAWS pending a legal ban, noting they "irreversibly alter the nature of warfare" and cannot be "morally responsible subjects." Pope Francis echoed this in his 2024 World Day of Peace message, stressing that AI in weapons risks making the "human heart itself... ever more 'artificial'" and could arm terrorists or destabilize governments. These teachings affirm that ethical considerations must guide technology from design to deployment—"ethics by design"—to prioritize peace over violence.
A central pillar of the Church's response is the imperative to shield civilians, who bear the brunt of drone warfare's collateral effects. In urban or populated settings, drones equipped with explosives often cause indiscriminate harm, with civilians comprising nearly 90% of casualties from such weapons. The Holy See has expressed alarm at how modern conflicts, including those involving drones, devastate infrastructure like hospitals and schools, leading to disease, displacement, and long-term environmental damage. Pope Francis described ongoing wars as "another world war... fought piecemeal," intensifying the "deafening noise of conflict" in cities.
Archbishop Caccia, in UN statements, supported the 2023 Political Declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas, aiming to shift from "collateral damage" to intentional protection. In Sudan's conflict, bishops condemned the "indiscriminate" use of heavy weapons in cities, killing civilians and destroying hospitals while denying essentials like food and water. This mirrors broader concerns: drones, by facilitating remote strikes, can treat non-combatants as "pawns," contravening IHL's principles of distinction and proportionality. The Church insists that all parties, including non-state actors using drones, must observe these limits, with humanitarian aid never weaponized. Pope Francis's appeal after a 2024 missile attack in Erbil—analogous to drone strikes—underscored solidarity with civilian victims and the need to avoid escalatory actions.
The Church's moral response transcends critique, actively promoting alternatives through dialogue and disarmament. Popes have repeatedly appealed for negotiations in drone-prone conflicts, as in Sudan, where John Paul II urged "sincere and truthful dialogue" respecting cultural and religious differences. The Holy See supports UN initiatives like Operation Sudan for aid to refugees, emphasizing the Church's role in alleviating suffering regardless of faith. In Antiqua et Nova, the call is for "algor-ethics"—cross-disciplinary efforts to embed values in AI development—while rejecting technologies that fuel the "folly of war."
Archbishop Caccia advocated concluding a binding instrument by 2026 to ban LAWS without human oversight, urging states to refrain from their development in the interim. This aligns with just war's restraint prong: war profits a few at the expense of populations, and "it takes more courage to seek peace than to wage war." The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in addressing Sudan, called for international pressure on warring parties to choose dialogue over violence, honoring civilians' non-violent push for democracy. Through organizations like Caritas, the Church provides humanitarian support, embodying the Beatitudes' call to peacemaking.
In conclusion, the Catholic Church's moral response to civilian drone warfare integrates just war principles with urgent ethical scrutiny of technology, prioritizing civilian protection and human accountability. From Pope Francis's prohibitions on autonomous killing to episcopal condemnations of indiscriminate strikes, the teachings urge a paradigm shift toward peace-building. By fostering dialogue and ethical innovation, the Church invites all to measure humanity not by destructive power, but by care for the vulnerable, ensuring that advancements serve fraternity rather than folly.