Pope Leo calls just war theory 'outdated' in new encyclical | Anabaptist World
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Pope Leo's new encyclical declares just war theory obsolete — a seismic challenge to 1,600 years of Catholic moral reasoning on when killing is justified.
Just War TheoryPacifismNatural Law TheoryMoral Philosophy
Theory Briefing
- Pope Leo's encyclical explicitly calls just war theory 'outdated,' marking a dramatic break from Catholic tradition stretching back to Augustine.
- Just war theory, built on criteria like proportionality and right intention, has long given moral cover to state violence — the Pope is pulling that foundation away.
- The declaration is especially striking coming from Rome, since Anabaptists and pacifists have rejected just war reasoning for centuries on exactly these grounds.