October 21, 2001

Last week I listed the classical criteria for a just war. While human wars come and go, the spiritual warfare within the soul is never ending. While there are many terrorists of many kinds, the Terrorist behind all terrorists is the Devil himself. His clever strategy has been to get us to look away from him by persuading us that he does not exist. How many times recently has he almost persuaded us that "character doesn't matter?" The best way to thwart the Devil is to confess sins. Apply the just war criteria to the spiritual battle this way:

1) The cause must be just. There is no more just cause than to overcome evil. 2) The war must be directed by a legitimate authority. Christ gave the Catholic Church the power to forgive sins by giving St. Peter the keys of Heaven and Hell. 3) The intention must be noble. Our intention is the noblest: to become saints in the service of Christ and his Church. 4) All other means of resolving the conflict must have been exhausted. Well, every philosophical and psychological and social attempt to fight the Devil has been tried, some more successfully than others, but none has eradicated the Terrorist himself by absolving sin. 5) The resulting good must be greater than the damage caused by the war. Salvation is a good, incalculably preferable to the sacrifices we have to make in overcoming habits and vices. 6) There must be a reasonable chance of success. Christ guaranteed success over sin and death by rising again and breathing the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, giving them the power to forgive sins, which power is passed to us through the apostolic succession of the bishops. 7) The ultimate goal must be peace. The risen Lord said "Peace", and that peace we share in the Eucharist and by God's grace we will have forever in Heaven.

The most intelligent way to help in our nation's war to protect civilization is by going to confession to protect our souls. The Terrorist does not want us to do it, and that is good enough reason to do it. Jesus wants us to do it, which is an even better reason.

Fr. George W. Rutler