The Catholic Position

What about the Roman Catholic position? Last November American bishops met in national convention, and the New York Times front-page headline reported: “U.S. CATHOLIC BISHOPS CALL FOR END TO INDOCHINA WAR.”⁴ The resolution adopted by the bishops pointed to “the destruction of human life and of moral values,” and said: “It is our firm conviction, therefore, that the speedy ending of this war is a moral imperative of the highest priority.”⁵

Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit explained that the resolution “means that the war is unjust.”⁶ Therefore, he said, anyone who agrees with the Catholic position “may not participate in this war.”⁷

From such evidence one might conclude that religion has been leading mankind away from war. But why have hundreds of thousands of young Catholics and Protestants fought in Vietnam over the years? Have they acted contrary to the guidance they have received from their religion?

Confused Guidance

Actually the opposition of religion to the Vietnam war is not as clear-cut as the foregoing may indicate. For example, Archbishop Philip Hannan of New Orleans said he was among “a considerable number of the bishops who do not fully support the resolution” recently adopted by the American bishops.⁸ So Catholics may understandably be confused as to the guidance being given even now!

Why were priests almost unanimously in favor of striving for a United States victory in Vietnam? A strong influence no doubt was the guidance given by their bishops. In November 1966 the American bishops in an official statement said: “It is reasonable to argue that our presence in Vietnam is justified. . . . We commend the valor of our men in the armed forces, and we express to them our debt of gratitude. . . . we can conscientiously support the position of our country in the present circumstances.”¹³

Some bishops spoke almost as though the war was a holy crusade.