There is a lot of talk going on about the Pope’s recent statements about weapons manufacturers or those who invest in the weapons industry.
Here’s an article about it.
Turns out everybody can take a deep breath.
First of all, the pope was speaking off the cuff in an interactive conversation with a group of young people. Therefore this was neither a planned nor integrated item of formal papal teaching.
Within the conversation’s context he was lamenting the atrocities of war, and quite rightly he criticized those who call themselves Christians, but make lots of money either manufacturing the weapons of war or investing in companies that do.
Why should anybody have a problem with this?
He’s talking about big money guys making bigger money out of devising and constructing and selling weapons of mass destruction.
Of course nations will seek weapons of self defense, and of course war will always be with us.
But he’s the pope. He’s supposed to be against war. He’s supposed to be against the glorification of war. He’s supposed to be against the profiteering that comes from making weapons that kill more people more efficiently than ever before.
Does this mean a Christian can’t work in a factory or for a company that makes weapons or weapon components?
Does it mean a Christian can’t own a gun?
Does it mean a Christian can’t be a soldier?
The pope knows these are complicated questions, but it doesn’t do any harm to examine your conscience.
