Opinion | Pope Leo Is Waging War on War - The New York Times
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Pope Leo's first encyclical targets just war theory's oldest loophole — the way it gets twisted into moral cover for aggression rather than a brake on it.
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Theory Briefing
- Pope Leo's first encyclical directly challenges Catholic just war doctrine, arguing it has long served as a fig leaf for attacking enemies.
- The theory meant to restrain violence is accused of doing the opposite — lending moral legitimacy to wars of aggression.
- Leo's move signals a potential shift in how the Church frames the ethics of armed conflict at a moment of active global wars.
- Just war criteria like 'just cause' and 'right intention' are the specific pressure points the encyclical appears to target.