Just War Theory: A Catholic's Perspective Michael Welch Just War Theory is described by Thomas Massaro in his book Living Justice as the “principle that war could be justified under certain conditions” (108). The complexities of international relations make determining a just war very difficult. While pacifism has not historically gained much popularity within Catholic circles, it is currently gaining popularity among many mainstream Catholics. With so many differing opinions on military action, one might ask, “What determines a just war? How do we balance the need for peace with self-defense?” An examination of the criteria for a just war and the criticisms written on this topic could shed light on these two questions. Although many credit St. Augustine with founding just war theory, this view is partially misleading. Augustine synthesized ideas from classical Greco-Roman and Christian philosophy to build his theory, so philosophers like Aristotle and Cicero can also be given credit. Since then, it has been modified by many important thinkers such as St. Thomas Aquinas, Hugo Grotius, and Francisco Suarez (Orend). Technical aspects aside, Augustine was a key figure in the development of our contemporary understanding of this tradition (Massaro 70). Just war theory can be divided into three components: jus ad bellum, jus en bello and jus post bellum. Translated from Latin they mean “justice before war, justice in war and justice after war”. In this way, the Catholic Church is able to reconcile Jesus' high teachings on loving one's neighbor and not harming oneself with the protection of the innocent (Massaro 104). Jus ad bellum is primarily aimed at those in power, since it is up to them to decree ... middle of paper ... ace, jus ad bellum lists multiple criteria for ending a war in a way that facilitates a stable truce between the nations. At the end of the First World War, in 1919, the Treaty of Versailles placed full responsibility for the war on the German people (Treaty). The tension created by this treaty ultimately led to Hitler's rise to power and the outbreak of World War II. The Treaty of Versailles is an example of how failure to respect the principles proposed by the Catholic Church, namely social restoration, just agreements, long-term security reform and physical reconstruction, can lead to lasting global repercussions and future wars . The sanctions were applied in the hope of slowing German recovery and eliminating future conflicts. However, the United States did not sign this treaty because it recognized that it neither guaranteed fair treatment to the Germans nor promoted long-term security (Treaty).