By JP Misheff, September 15, 2025
Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Academy for Life, has spoken out in explicit terms against the war in the Middle East in a recent interview with Italian news outlet Settimana News. In a desperate tone, he says, “This war has been going on for more than three years without there being a light at the end of the tunnel.”
His anti-war sentiments largely reflect the Catechism of the Catholic Church’s (CCC) teachings on war.
In CCC §2307: “Because the evils and injustices that accompany all war, the Chuch insistently urges everyone to prayer and to action so that the divine Goodness may free us from the ancient bondage of war.”
Paglia’s comments include a condemnation of the increased use of drone attacks, which serve to increase the human-to-human distance between warring groups, making it that much easier to kill. CCC §2314 anticipates drone usage by declaring, “Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and man, which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation.”
Also of note in this interview are Paglia’s comments on the aspects of this and other wars that go beyond the political: “What believers should note is the risk of seriously wounding what since 1986 has been called the ‘spirit of Assisi,’ that is, the ability of believers of different religions to meet and dialogue in peace and for peace.”
Paglia joins many other voices in a growing throng of religious leaders denouncing war. Earlier this year, in March, Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X of Antioch, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, and Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Youssef Absi signed a combined statement which condemned escalating violence. “We strongly condemn any act that threatens civil peace and denounce the massacres targeting innocent civilians. These horrific acts stand in stark opposition to all human and moral values.”
Likewise, the Church of England House of Bishops in May declared, “We call on all sides to end the war.”
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem recently said, “The violence we are witnessing is also the result of years of violent and dehumanizing language.” He went on to say that if people are dehumanized through “creating a culture, a way of thinking, the transition to actual physical violence is only a matter of time.”
Pizzaballa issued these words on September 9, which feel especially prescient in the wake of the increased violence we are witnessing here in the United States. His comments came less than two weeks after the Annunciation shooting, and a day before conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated at a college campus in Utah.
We are left with the age-old question, “How long, Lord?” But we are left with so much more than that, of course. The Christian faith is one rooted in hope.
We’ll leave you with this quote made in June of this year, from Father John Luke Gregory, Franciscan Father of the Custody of the Holy Land:
“The hope of the Resurrection is not just an event but a powerful invitation to see every moment of darkness as a precursor to light. Holding onto the gift of the Spirit means fostering an inner disposition of peace, regardless of external circumstances… Hope is not just a feeling—it is a powerful action born from unwavering faith in the goodness of humanity and the promise of divine love embodied in the Spirit of truth.”
In very related news, the Vatican hosted a Jubilee of Consolation today on YouTube, intended for “All those who are experiencing a time of pain and affliction, due to illness, bereavement, violence or abuse, are especially invited to this jubilee event, together with their families and friends.”
We continue to pray for peace—may this longing for peace come to life in our lives.
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