Catholic social teaching inspires me to visualize some of the exigencies of what Pope Francis and now Pope Leo XIV have called the “culture of encounter” as a social ideal that integrates the principle of subsidiarity with the vitality of solidarity by means of the inherent dynamics of “communion.” The common good is properly attained within concrete relationships that form interpersonal and communal bonds. But a genuine human community is not closed in upon itself, but open, expansive, and welcoming. Certainly it must defend itself against violence and crime both within and from outside itself, but self-defense is not its defining characteristic or ideal.
Defense is unfortunately necessary, but it should aspire as much as possible to non-violence, which does not exclude – in my view – the use of physical force to restrain an aggressor (ideally as a “last resort”). Even defense should be tempered by mercy and attention to the ineradicable human dignity of the persons of those who perpetrate violence against us. Thus, the practice of non-violence does not oppose the restraint of criminals and their being-deprived of certain external freedoms. Civil authorities have public and tranparent legal procedures ("due process") for arresting, charging, adjudicating in a fair trial, and when appropriate sentencing convicted criminals to jail. These processes are necessary to repair in some measure the injustice that criminals have inflicted against their victims and the common good, as well as to protect the community. The use of physical force in fighting crime should not be considered "violence" unless it departs from the service of public justice in accordance with the "rule of law." The rule of law is not an abstraction, but a standard worthy of international consensus that is shaped by recognition of the dignity of the human person and the rights entailed by that dignity, as well as the basic compassion appropriate to the humanity we all share. A judicial system inspired by non-violence, moreover, will also seek ways that allow for and (as much as possible) actively facilitate the conversion, healing, and rehabilitation of criminals.
A similar standard applies to military self-defense, wherein physical action is taken to protect a people against the invasion of a foreign power. Actions designed to thwart and disarm contemporary large-scale military aggression will inevitably impact those who participate as individual agents within the armed forces of a politically-organized program of violence that is responsible for the aggression. It is not for the sake of euphemism that I use these broad terms to refer to "enemy soldiers," who in the monstrous wars of recent history have often been wantonly conscripted from civilian life, and are thus also in some way victims of the violent political regime that forces them to carry out its belligerent action. Self-defense must not become a pretext for vengeance, retribution, hatred, cruelty, or any kind of disregard for the human dignity of persons (even though the heat of battle makes it very hard to sustain this interior form of non-violence).
All of this strikes me as – at least – an ideal that should be proposed and aspired to, even though people will fall short on the practical level. We need to seek the freedom, creativity, and magnanimity to become more truly human. We need a wisdom that we cannot construct from out of ourselves, that comes from a Source greater than ourselves.
We need this wisdom for the whole range of challenges that continue to emerge in this new epoch, as we seek a more adequate integrally human common good in all the levels of interaction that bring us together. The art of politics in a community is not simply to ‘keep the peace” but also to foster and encourage the personal and interpersonal dimensions of human life. Moreover, through openness, hospitality, and dialogue, communities form vital bonds with one another and learn to appreciate the diversity (if I may use this word) that enriches humanity. A prevailing openness and commitment to dialogue – real, difficult, time-consuming, slowly-moving, patient dialogue – builds the solidarity of communities. Here arises the concrete recognition of the common bond of humanity, the fundamental dignity that is mysteriously given and sustained, that calls for love and respect, a personalistic enrichment of the foundational reality signified by an old and unfashionable term: human nature.
As a Christian, my hope for all goodness – including what we can achieve (however imperfectly) in the political arrangements of this world – rests in Jesus Christ. The One who was crucified and is risen sustains His saving presence through history and demonstrates that He is the answer to our times as well. Everyone is seeking Him (whether they know it or not). We seek Him in our silence, our words, and our actions. Concern for the common good of our globally interconnected world – especially for the poor and those who suffer injustices and oppression – constitutes for us a work of Christian love (agape, caritas), a “work of mercy.”
