Brother Tony Choukri, Guardian of the Franciscan Monastery of St. Joseph in Beirut, spoke out against the Israeli bombings in Lebanon. Choukri emphasized that human beings are not objects and that death is not a means to change political strategies, demographics, or borders. The bombings are creating an environment of hatred and revenge, which is contrary to the accustomed coexistence of Christians and Muslims in Lebanon. Lebanon is described as a single, interwoven fabric where different religious groups are united. The Franciscan monastery in Gemmayzeh, which survived the 2020 port explosion, remains a trusted and safe presence for the community.
about 9 hours ago
Israeli bombings in Lebanon have expanded beyond southern Hezbollah areas into Beirut, striking neighborhoods like Gemmayzeh and fostering an environment of hatred and revenge.1
Brother Tony Choukri, Guardian of the Franciscan Monastery of St. Joseph, describes Lebanon as a unified fabric of Christians and Muslims, now disrupted by violence foreign to its tradition of coexistence.1
The monastery in central Beirut remains a trusted haven despite lacking shelters, sheltering about 150 displaced people from southern Lebanon.1
It has endured past traumas, including the 1974 civil war and 2020 port explosion, with friars staying present for the community.1
A recent airstrike hit just 300 meters away during preparations for St. Joseph's feast, heightening fears among refugees, especially children who hide at loud noises.1
No area feels safe as bombings reach urban centers previously thought protected, leaving displaced people uncertain about movement or safety.1
Brother Choukri notes the population feels marginalized and oppressed, with fear spreading and "the evil one taking his space."1
Plans are underway to relocate vulnerable children and elderly to safer spots while friars refuse to abandon their post.1
Brother Choukri urges an end to suffering, insisting "God does not give permission to kill" and that death cannot justify altering strategies, demography, or borders.1
He calls for respect of law, human rights, and faith, emphasizing that humans are not objects.1
The monastery continues providing hospitality and humanitarian support amid ongoing bombardment.1
“Does the Catholic Church condemn all wartime violence as disallowed?”
No, the Catholic Church does not condemn all wartime violence as inherently disallowed. While it views war as a profound moral evil to be avoided through every reasonable effort, it recognizes a limited right to legitimate self-defense for states and peoples when peaceful means have been exhausted, provided that moral principles of justice and humanity are upheld even in conflict. This teaching, rooted in natural law and Scripture, balances a preferential commitment to peace with the tragic reality of human sinfulness and aggression.
The Catholic Church insists that war brings intolerable evils and injustices, urging prayer, action, and international cooperation to prevent it. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states:
Because of the evils and injustices that all war brings with it, we must do everything reasonably possible to avoid it. The Church prays: "From famine, pestilence, and war, O Lord, deliver us."
This echoes Vatican II's Gaudium et Spes (GS), which describes war's escalation through modern weapons and terrorism as a "melancholy state of humanity," binding all—especially governments—to natural law principles that render certain acts criminal, such as the extermination of peoples. Peace is defined not as mere absence of war but as "the tranquillity of order," requiring justice, fraternity, and charity.
Recent popes reinforce this, with Pope Francis repeatedly calling war "madness" and "a defeat," imploring penance and prayer for conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Myanmar, and elsewhere.
Despite this, the Church explicitly affirms that not all defensive violence is disallowed. CCC 2308 teaches:
All citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war. However, "as long as the danger of war persists and there is no international authority with the necessary competence and power, governments cannot be denied the right of lawful self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed."
Gaudium et Spes 79 clarifies: "As long as the danger of war remains and there is no competent and sufficiently powerful authority at the international level, governments cannot be denied the right to legitimate defense once every means of peaceful settlement has been exhausted." It distinguishes just defense from aggression or subjugation, viewing proper military service as a "genuine contribution to the establishment of peace." This aligns with the Church's just war tradition (developed from St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas), which permits force proportionally applied to repel unjust aggression after exhausting diplomacy.
Even in lawful war, the Church condemns indiscriminate or excessive violence. CCC 2312 asserts:
The Church and human reason both assert the permanent validity of the moral law during armed conflict. "The mere fact that war has regrettably broken out does not mean that everything becomes licit between the warring parties."
Gaudium et Spes 80 denounces "total war" and weapons causing "massive and indiscriminate destruction," such as those threatening "altogether reciprocal slaughter," as crimes against God and humanity. International agreements on prisoners and wounded must be honored, and conscientious objection respected if alternative service is provided. The arms race itself is a "treacherous trap," diverting resources from the poor and aggravating conflicts.
Popes apply these principles to modern crises, condemning specific aggressions (e.g., Russia's invasion of Ukraine) while calling for ceasefires, disarmament, and peace rooted in justice. Pope Francis emphasizes that "war is madness" profiting arms dealers who "kill humanity," yet his appeals presuppose the Church's framework allowing defense against injustice. No source advocates pacifism as absolute; instead, they summon all to peacemaking while acknowledging sin's persistence until Christ's return.
In summary, the Church's teaching is nuanced: war is never good and must be a last resort, but defensive violence is morally permissible under rigorous criteria of necessity, proportionality, discrimination (sparing non-combatants), and right intention. This fosters true peace as "the fruit of love" transcending justice alone. Catholics are called to pray, advocate disarmament, and support international authority to render war obsolete.