Pope Francis said on Friday that it was ‘morally acceptable’ to supply weapons to Ukraine to enable it to defend itseld against Russian aggression. He expounded on Roman Catholic Church’s “Just War” principles to support his opinion. The Pope was speaking with reporters aboard a plane as he returned from a three-day visit to Kazakhstan. The Pope also urged Ukraine to be open to dialogue.
Pope Francis was speaking to the reporters in 45-minute-long airborne news conference. A reporter asked whether it was morally right for countries to send weapons to Ukraine.
“This is a political decision which it can be moral, morally acceptable, if it is done under conditions of morality,” Francis said.
He cited principles of ‘Just war’, which allow for the proportional use of deadly weapons for self defence against an aggressor nation.
“Self defence is not only licit but also an expression of love for the homeland. Someone who does not defend oneself, who does not defend something, does not love it. Those who defend (something) loves it,” he said.
Explaining the difference between when it is moral or immoral to supply weapons to another country, Francis said:
“It can be immoral if the intention is provoking more war, or to sell arms or dump arms that (a country) no longer needs. The motivation is what in large part qualifies the morality of this action,” he said.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Western nations including the US have rushed millions of dollars of worth of weaponry to Ukraine. After suffering setbacks after setbacks in first six months of the war, Ukraine has recently been able recapture substantial area in the country’s eastern parts.
(With inputs from agencies)
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