Is War Ever a Solution?

By Cedric Prakash, SJ

A meme which is going viral these days shows a group of jungle animals of different species gazing at the skyline with planes above bombing buildings. There are flames of fire with plumes of black smoke. The animals say to each other, “They have spent billions to explore life on Mars and are spending trillions for destroying ‘life on earth’”. Seated beside these jungle animals are two apparently ‘Martian’ looking creatures. One of them quips, “Humans are really stupid!” That pointed meme says it all!

The world is in the grip of a terrible war. It has never been so bad – particularly since World War II. Thousands are already killed, millions more are affected all over the world -particularly in the Gulf countries and the developing world. The poor and the marginalized, the small farmer and the casual labourer, the slum-dweller and those who live on the peripheries of society, are the worst- affected. Prices have skyrocketed. Today, the average Indian is not even able to procure a cooking gas cylinder to meet his family’s daily needs!

The war began on 28 February 2026, when first Israel and then, the United States, attacked Iran, without any provocation. It has continued till recently when a fragile ceasefire was announced. High-cost missile defense, aircraft sorties, and munitions are driving daily expenditures for the U.S. According to reliable information, the United States spends an estimated $890 million to $1 billion per day on the war against Iran as of late March/early April 2026, with total costs rapidly exceeding $27 billion within the first month. This expenditure is not only astronomical but also downright scandalous. It could easily meet the pressing needs of millions of people all over the world who suffer tremendously because of the lack of food, clean drinking water, housing, clothing, global warming and other natural disasters and much more. The expenditure incurred for this unwanted war becomes much more unbelievable if one has to add the huge amounts incurred by Israel, Iran, Lebanon and the other Gulf nations.

Pope Francis of beloved memory took a very strong stand against war. In his path-breaking Encyclical Fratelli Tutti, he devoted an entire section titled ‘The injustice of war’ (#256-262) where he states “since conditions that favour the outbreak of wars are once again increasing, I can only reiterate that “war is the negation of all rights and a dramatic assault on the environment. We can no longer think of war as a solution, it is very difficult nowadays to invoke the rational criteria elaborated in earlier centuries to speak of the possibility of a “just war”. Never again war! Every war leaves our world worse than it was before.”

Whose war is it anyway? Millions all over the world, and particularly in the United States, have come out on the streets to protest, demanding that the war stops now! There is an outrage everywhere, as most ordinary people rightly target the U.S. and Israeli regimes and their military outfits! Obviously, a good percentage of the media – controlled by the warmongers – will not highlight this reality. There are cries for peace – underlining the painful reality, that in any war the greatest victims, the people who suffer the most – are the poor, the vulnerable and marginalized; those who have to eke out a living; whose very existence is on their meagre daily earnings. Many of them have lost everything.

Interestingly, most of the leaders of the developed nations are not supporting the war. They demand that war stops immediately. The US, Israel and their crony capitalist friends unfortunately justify every attack, every bombing, and every killing! No one is looking at the consequences of war: of how reality irreversibly changes for the victims; how there is irreparable devastation and wanton destruction of both of life and property. Even the ordinary middle class traveller has been affected and greatly inconvenienced with the rise in airfares and the fact that hundreds of daily flights have been cancelled everywhere!

“We can no longer think of war as a solution, it is very difficult nowadays to invoke the rational criteria elaborated in earlier centuries to speak of the possibility of a “just war”.” – Pope Francis

The one sector that is profiteering is the industrial-military complex – those who own the companies that produce arms and ammunition. Today billions of dollars are allocated to the production of weapons, particularly on weapons of mass destruction. Pope Francis also took on the arms trade referring to it as the ‘industry of death’. On 23 September 2015, addressing the U.S. Congress, he spoke plainly:“Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often-innocent blood. In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade.”

Ever since this war began, Pope Leo XIV has spared no efforts to condemn the war and ask for the immediate cessation of hostilities. At a Prayer Vigil for Peace on 11 April in the Vatican, his message to the world was powerful and direct, “Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! …Dear brothers and sisters, there are certainly binding responsibilities that fall to the leaders of nations. To them we cry out: Stop! It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the table where rearmament is planned and deadly actions are decided! Yet there is a no less significant responsibility that falls on all of us — men and women from all over the world.  We are an immense multitude that rejects war not only in word, but also in deed.”

“I will continue to speak out loudly against war, to try to promote peace, multilateral dialogue between states in order to seek the right solution to problems.” – Pope Leo XIV

President Trump has not taken too kindly to Pope Leo’s insistence that war must be stopped. The President has used words against the Pope which are very unacceptable and which have been unequivocally condemned by all sections of society. To the President’s rant Pope Leo’s response was, “I am not a politician, I have no intention of entering into a debate with him. Rather, let us always seek peace and put an end to wars. I am not afraid of the Trump administration. I speak about the Gospel, I am not a politician. I do not think the message of the Gospel should be abused in the way some people are doing. I will continue to speak out loudly against war, to try to promote peace, multilateral dialogue between states in order to seek the right solution to problems. The message of the Church is the message of the Gospel: “Blessed are the peacemakers; I do not see my role as that of a politician, I do not want to enter into a debate with him. Too many people are suffering in the world.”

We all have much to learn from the Pope’s message and take a stand against this senseless war and all other wars.

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