As of: 03/10/2022 6:32 p.m
The Russian war of aggression is forcing the Church to reconsider its peace ethics. The Catholic bishops stressed that supplying arms to Ukraine was “in principle legitimate”. The evangelical church made a similar statement.
At their spring meeting, the Catholic bishops condemned the Russian war of aggression and unreservedly supported the Ukrainians. They also consider arms deliveries to be justified. According to a statement by the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK), “deliveries of arms to Ukraine, which serve to enable the attacked country to exercise its right to self-defense, which is guaranteed under international law and also affirmed by the church’s peace ethic,” are “basically legitimate”. It was written at the end of their spring plenary assembly in the Franconian pilgrimage site of Vierzehnheiligen near Bad Staffelstein.
It goes on to say: “But it is up to those who have to make the decision to think carefully about what they are doing and possibly doing with it. This applies equally to those who support and oppose arms deliveries.”
The war in Ukraine also puts Christian peace ethics to the test. “In its teaching and in its actions, the church is committed to Jesus’ non-violence. Even in the hour of distress, it must therefore resolutely resist the temptation to use unlimited violence,” says the DBK statement. “Violence and counter-violence, even when legitimate, drive a spiral of violence that regularly spirals out of control.”
Kurschus: Only prayers and compassion are not enough
The chairwoman of the council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Annette Kurschus, made a similar statement. She thinks it is difficult to turn down the demand for arms supplies when people cannot defend themselves on their own. “But arms deliveries do not guarantee the end of the violence that we want,” said the Westphalian President to the Evangelical Press Service epd.
Kurschus emphasized the dilemma of the Church’s position. “However we position ourselves: We cannot keep a clean slate in this situation.” She thinks it’s cynical to say that prayer and compassion for the people of Ukraine should be enough. “I can understand that Ukraine is being supported in its self-defense. It’s a real dilemma.” But the churches should not evade this by remaining silent and absolving themselves of responsibility.
Kurschus also said that against the background of the Ukraine war, the Protestant peace ethic had to be subjected to “a critical examination” and discussed again.
“War is a defeat of humanity”
In their statement, the Catholic bishops also objected to attempts by the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Cyril of Moscow to defend the Russian invasion. “All true religion rejects war. It is a defeat of humanity.” Whoever triggers it willfully commits a crime before God and man. In its teaching and in its actions, the church is committed to Jesus’ non-violence.
The chairman of the bishops’ conference, Georg Bätzing, emphasized at a press conference at the end of the spring plenary assembly of the bishops that there was great ecumenical agreement in rejecting the war. The bishops called for determination from western democracies and help for the victims. “Everyone feels that the invasion of Ukraine is also an attack on Europe and its values,” says the four-page text. Europe would do well to prepare for a long and difficult debate. “An attitude of determination and clarity, beyond hysteria and tactical maneuvering, is required to meet this challenge.”