(Cross-posted at Vox Nova)

Recently Father Zuhlsdorf described US warships as “gorgeous” and “amazing”, naming those slain by these warships as “educated”. After receiving criticism, Fr. Z explained: “I do not apologize . . . [America] pulled many other peoples’ fat out of the fire with the blood of her soldiers, sailors and marines. Pope Benedict in his first Message for the World Day of Peace pointed out the importance of military intervention at times to establish the proper framework for true peace.”

But did Fr. Z read all of the Pope’s World Day of Peace message, “In Truth, Peace“, where he stated that “[lies] are the framework for menacing scenarios of death in many parts of the world . . . truths are what make peace possible”?

Lies include calling machines made for slaughter - battleships - “gorgeous”. Battleships are not beautiful. They are ugly. They are huge chunks of metal formed and shaped for one purpose - the deliberate destruction of human life. This is not gorgeous. It is horrifying. Though Catholics might accept violence as necessary, a Catholic can never accept violence as beautiful.

The Pope’s words on military participation would be littered with words like ‘noble’ and ‘glorious’ if he thought as many militarists do. Instead, Pope Benedict expresses gratitude toward “the many soldiers engaged in the delicate work of resolving conflicts,” but only insofar as they perform their duties “properly, [do] they contribute to the establishment of peace.” He calls their work ‘delicate’ and ‘demanding’, and reminds the chaplains who serve soldiers to be “heralds of the truth of peace.”

These are the words of a Pope who saw that “the new weapons that make possible destructions that go beyond the combatant groups” ought to make us ask ourselves “if it is still licit to admit the very existence of a just war.” (Zenit) Why does the Pope see battleships and wonder whether these weapons can perform the “delicate” work of peacemaking, while many Americans see these weapons and call them beautiful?

Ignorance.

“In Truth, Peace” attempts to pierce our ignorance (a spiritual work of mercy) by reminding us that “to impose on others by violent means what we consider to be the truth is an offense against the dignity of the human being, and ultimately an offence against God in whose image he is made.”

The ‘delicate’ work of peacemaking, done ‘properly’, does not create body counts, nor does it attempt to force truth upon enemies. Rather, peacemaking resolves the conflict by defending all life - both friend and foe. The Vatican supports UN peacemaking operations because of their limited rules of engagement. Peacemakers risk their own lives in an effort to reduce violence. Killing is seen as a failure, even if condoned as the last resort of defense.

But why call war a failure? Why attempt to limit the destruction of war? Why train peacemakers instead of infantrymen? Why has “the Holy See expressed its support for humanitarian law,” claiming that treaties regulating war “ought to be considered as one of the finest and most effective expressions of the intrinsic demands of the truth of peace?” We see the answer in the Pope’s challenging stance on weapons:

“how can there ever be a future of peace when investments are still made in the production of arms and in research aimed at developing new ones?” “What can be said, too, about those governments which count on nuclear arms as a means of ensuring the security of their countries?” . . . one can state that this point of view is not only baneful but also completely fallacious.” (In Truth, Peace)

And so we return full circle to Truth. What is the truth of peace? Why does the Pope call peacemaking a delicate task? Why does the Pope question modern weapons and warfare? Why does the Pope call upon us to respect humanitarian laws regulating warfare? Why does the Pope call reliance upon nuclear weapons baneful, and ask that we cease production of new weapons?

Because war and weapons promulgate the lie, the myth, of redemptive violence:

With the conviction of her faith in Christ and with the awareness of her mission, the Church proclaims “that violence is evil, that violence is unacceptable as a solution to problems, that violence is unworthy of man. Violence is a lie, for it goes against the truth of our faith, the truth of our humanity. Violence destroys what it claims to defend: the dignity, the life, the freedom of human beings” (JPII and CSDC)

Monstrous weapons like battleships are a lie. They propose peace, but they promise war. May all the faithful of Christ see the truth of peace, may we listen to our Magisterium, and never mistake “gorgeous” lines for what they really are: ugly lies.