There has recently been quasi-official statements coming from the Vatican on
seeking UN approval for a just war. I don’t quite understand how UN approval
could make a unjust war just or their disapproval making a just war unjust. The
member nations of the UN are not going to come to a decision based on a Catholic
understanding of the just war theory but will make a decision based on:
1. Political factors – whether they have any alliances with the country in
question and how their population sees it or just about anything else they
consider important.
2. Economic factors – whether they have economic ties
with the country in question or they think that there will be economic
consequences for themselves.
3. Condit factor – What I call the Condit factor
is after Congressman Gary Condit who was the only representative to not vote
censure for Rep. Traficant. Sometimes a country might vote against something if
they think that they could be next.
The UN is not the place to seek a moral determination of anything. Normally
the Vatican fights some UN groups tooth-and-nail to prevent more excursions into
the culture of death. If the UN had been around in WWII they probably would have
issued some joint resolutions against Germany when they invaded Poland but the
thinking of most countries at the time was either appeasement or signing a
nonaggression pact with Germany. When there is starvation and famine UN groups
send condoms and abortion equipment, again not exactly moral leadership. I
understand that Catholic groups and the Vatican try to work within existing
structures to bring good and to that end work with the UN but this influence
wouldn’t affect member countries voting on a resolution. Besides anytime you
combine the UN with a just war you end up with a UNjust war (sorry couldn’t
resist that).
