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Papal teaching on Self Defense

2K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  Everett 
#1 ·
In his Encyclical Letter from 1995, EVANGELIUM VITAE, Pope John Paul II writes:

"......Christian reflection has sought a fuller and deeper
understanding of what God's commandment prohibits and prescribes.
There are in fact situations in which values proposed by God's Law
seem to involve a genuine paradox. This happens for example in the
case of legitimate defense, in which the right to protect one's own
life and the duty not to harm someone else's life are difficult to
reconcile in practice. Certainly, the intrinsic value of life and the
duty to love oneself no less than others are the basis of a true
right to self-defense."

He goes on to say

"...legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for
someone responsible for another's life, the common good of the
family or of the State. Unfortunately, it happens that the need to
render the aggressor incapable of causing harm sometimes involves
taking his life. In this case, the fatal outcome is attributable to
the aggressor whose actions brought it about, even though he may
about, even though he may not be morally responsible because of a lack of the use of reason."
 
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#3 ·
Yeah well he is the Pope and supossed to be long winded? You can't be so black and white when your in charge? You should be! Jesus was!
 
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