# Catholic Church Shifts Doctrine, Questions "Just War" Theory

> Pope Francis's statements in 2022 initiated a significant re-evaluation of the Catholic Church's historical 'just war' theory, leading to the 2024 establishment of the Catholic Institute for Nonviolence.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-17T02:03:37.679537Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/catholic-church-shifts-doctrine-questions-just-war-theory-1a3b9879

The Catholic Church is actively re-evaluating its centuries-old "just war" theory, a shift marked by Pope Francis's repeated declarations in 2022 that "wars are always unjust" and formalized with the inauguration of the Catholic Institute for Nonviolence in Rome on September 29, 2024 [1][2][3][7][11].

This re-evaluation signals a move towards "just peace" and Gospel nonviolence, potentially influencing global approaches to conflict and shaping the ethical stances of millions of adherents worldwide on the use of force [1][20][21].

## What the records show
The Catholic Church is undertaking a significant re-evaluation of its "just war" theory, moving towards an increased emphasis on nonviolence and "just peace" [1]. This re-evaluation focuses on Gospel nonviolence and the challenges presented by modern warfare [1]. The Catholic Institute for Nonviolence was inaugurated in Rome on September 29, 2024 [7][11]. Founded by Pax Christi International, its goal is to deepen "Catholic understanding of and commitment to the practice of Gospel nonviolence" [7][9][10]. The institute intends to provide research, resources, and experiences in nonviolence to Church leaders and institutions [7][8]. This support aims to strengthen the theological, pastoral, strategic, and experiential foundations of active nonviolence [8]. Cardinals Charles Maung Bo of Myanmar and Robert McElroy of San Diego led the institute's inauguration [7][8][10].

## The timeline
In March 2022, Pope Francis, during a video conference with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, stated, "Wars are always unjust" [3]. He also said, "There was a time, even in our Churches, when people spoke of a holy war or a just war. Today we cannot speak in this manner" [3]. On March 18, 2022, Pope Francis reiterated, "A war is always, always, the defeat of humanity, always… There is no such thing as a just war: they do not exist!" [2][5][6]. In June 2022, he suggested it might be time to "rethink the concept of a 'just war,'" while acknowledging a right to self-defense [3]. These pronouncements followed his 2020 encyclical *Fratelli Tutti*, which described war as "the negation of all rights" and noted that "every single war has been ostensibly 'justified'" [4]. The Catholic Institute for Nonviolence opened on September 29, 2024 [7][11]. Pope Francis died in May 2025 [13]. Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the new head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025, taking the name Pope Leo XIV [12][13][14]. Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical, *Magnifica Humanitas*, on May 25, 2026, which he signed on May 15, 2026 [15][16][17]. This encyclical addresses human dignity, technology, artificial intelligence, and concerns about autonomous weapons [15][19].

## What changed and for whom
The Catholic Church is moving from its traditional "just war" theory towards an emphasis on nonviolence and "just peace" [1]. Pope Francis publicly challenged the notion of a "just war" before his death [2][3][5][6]. The establishment of the Catholic Institute for Nonviolence provides a new institutional framework to advance the understanding and practice of nonviolence within the Church [7][8]. This shift represents a change in theological and pastoral guidance regarding conflict, encouraging a focus on preventing and transforming conflict through nonviolent strategies [20][21].

## What the subject has said publicly
Pope Francis made several strong statements questioning the traditional "just war" theory in 2022. He declared, "Wars are always unjust" [3]. He also stated, "A war is always, always, the defeat of humanity, always… There is no such thing as a just war: they do not exist!" [2][5][6]. His 2020 encyclical *Fratelli Tutti* characterized war as "the negation of all rights" and observed that "every single war has been ostensibly 'justified'" [4]. Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, *Magnifica Humanitas*, issued on May 25, 2026, focuses on human dignity, technology, artificial intelligence, and autonomous weapons [15][16][19]. The encyclical stresses that technology should serve humanity and the common good, not diminish human dignity [15]. It does not explicitly declare the just war theory "outdated" [15][19].

## What we could not confirm
Whether the Catholic Church will formally replace the "just war" theory with a "just peace" framework [1].
The specific methods the Catholic Institute for Nonviolence will use to disseminate its research and resources to global Church institutions [7][8].
The full text of Pope Leo XIV's encyclical *Magnifica Humanitas* was not available, only summaries and thematic descriptions [15][16][17][18][19].

## Evidence cited
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