Fratelli Tutti and the Just War Theory: A New Moment for Catholic Teaching on Violence

Abstract

There has been an evolution of the Catholic Church’s teaching on war and peace since the pontificate of Pius XII. In his social encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis continues to advance this development of doctrine. He is in line with his predecessors who have claimed “Never again war!” but he moves even beyond that point. This article tracks some of the high points in the development in question, and examines Francis’s own contribution to the development, especially through a single footnote in Fratelli Tutti, which moves the evolution further towards gospel nonviolence than any of his predecessors. Finally, the article concludes with the suggestion that the pope will soon promulgate a new encyclical which employs the just peace ethic in a formal way. Such a teaching will bring the magisterial position on war and peace into the twenty-first century in such a way that will make peace in this world more attainable.