Case 7. Warlike Missionaries

Four Catholic missionaries were preaching the Gospel with great fruit to peoples in central Africa, far removed from other Europeans. The natives, however, began a war of extermination against all Europeans, killing those whom they found scattered about. Hence the rest fled to fortified places, and one day a band of Europeans came to the missionaries to conduct them to a safe place. But behold, on the journey a great multitude of barbarians attacked the small band from every side, so that there was scarcely a slender hope of escape unless all fought. Hence the missionaries were placed in the greatest straits, for Christian examples seemed to teach that in such circumstances they should rather die patiently and without resistance; on the other hand, however, unless they fought, not only they themselves but also the brave band with them would almost certainly perish. Finally they took guns and, fighting like the others, reached the safe place. Hence it is asked:

1. By what law are clerics forbidden to bear arms?

2. Do clerics who are homicides never incur a penalty?

3. What is to be said of the case?

1. By what law are clerics forbidden to bear arms?

Clerics are bound by their profession to manifest in their conduct the meekness of Christ, and all that militates against this obligation is forbidden by the natural and divine law. To bear arms like soldiers would be contrary to their profession and would give scandal, so that it is forbidden by natural and divine law. It is also expressly forbidden by positive law: “ Let clerics who bear arms be excommunicated.”¹

1 Corpus Juris Can., iii, tit. 1, c. ii.

2. Does a cleric who commits homicide incur any special penalty?

Yes, “ whoever by any unjust and gravely culpable action, directly or indirectly, physically or morally, are guilty of homicide, thereby contract irregularity. Even casual homicide produces irregularity if it is the effect of grave negligence. If any one is killed in an unjust war all who fought on the other side contract irregularity, unless they were compelled to fight, or abstained from any action which could be the cause of death.”²

2 Manual of Moral Theology, vol. ii, p. 438.

3. The case. The missionaries acted wisely in taking guns and helping to defend themselves and those who had come to their rescue. They were being attacked as whites, not as preachers of the Gospel, and they would certainly have been killed unless they had defended themselves. They also had obligations of gratitude and charity towards the small band that came to rescue them. When the taking up of arms is necessary for self-defence it is not forbidden; necessity knows no law. Even a cleric may lawfully kill another in self-defence without incurring irregularity or any other penalty.