Pope says waging war unilaterally is violation of international law

Published: 2003-12-16

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Nations have a right to defend themselves against terrorism, but the unilateral use of force cannot be justified, Pope John Paul II said. In his annual message for the Jan. 1 World Day of Peace, the pope said international bodies established to protect nations and settle disputes need to be reformed to deal with the threat posed by a surge in terrorist movements around the world. But countries cannot renege on their formal commitments to respect international law and work through the United Nations, he said in the message released Dec. 16 at a Vatican press conference. Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said it is clear in the pope's message and in the more than 30 peace appeals he made in 2003 that the pope believes the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was not a just war because it did not have the support of the United Nations and the U.N. Security Council.

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