Last Sunday, following the outbreak of war in Iran, Pope Leo spoke after the Angelus: “Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions, I address to the parties involved a heartfelt appeal to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss!” and continuing, “Stability and peace are not built with mutual threats, nor with weapons, which sow destruction, pain, and death.”
It does not take a Pope to call us to mind to the horrors of war, not only on the people that live in the territories where the battles take place, nor is it limited to the families of our military men and women, but war, and even the so-called lesser violence of our cities and neighborhoods brings fear and confinement to a countless number of lives. And as Pope Benedict XVI pointed out, the destructive and indiscriminate nature of the technologies of our weapons today, which have greatly increased with the addition of drone and AI technology, has raised these levels of fear and threat to inhumane levels.
I am reminded this past week of a number of times in football, basketball and other sports when a player gets flagged or penalized for throwing a punch or forcefully pushing over an opponent. Then they go back and replay the video which shows the first player, taunting and egging the other man on. While a few may say that he got what he deserved, almost universally, the announcers comment, “You can’t do that. You have to be smarter than the other guy and not let him goad you into something.” We know and understand that it doesn’t matter what the first man did, it is the one who actually threw the first punch who is responsible for the fight that follows.
In the face of this outbreak of war in Iran we have to ask ourselves what we are supposed to do. Last month, my homily on the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time was a call for us to be a light in the darkness, and make acts of reparation and prayer for the sins of others. During this time of year and these days of Lent, we are reminded of how wars are brought to an end and violence is overcome. This is the Christian goal, this is our hope, what we pray for and the source of our life. It is not to cast angry blame; it is not to demand worldly justice above all things; it is not to celebrate or be happy at the death of any other; it is not to be drug down to a lower level.
To end this war, we must pray, stand fast in virtue, and offer reparation for all sins committed because of this war. To this end, we will begin praying the Anima Christi at the end of every Mass until the war comes to an end. I encourage you also to pray it each day in your own home.