By Deacon Gary Stone
AS Israeli and US bombs and missiles pound Iran into the dark ages, in a relentless campaign which, in the words of US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, “will show no mercy, nor follow rules of engagement,” God must weep and despair of what has become of humanity.
As a veteran myself witnessing seven conflicts, including deployment to Iran and Iraq in 1989-90 to implement a ceasefire, I also despair that the rules-based order, international laws of conflict, and concepts of “just war”, have been discarded by the government of our closest ally.
Moreover, I am aghast that leaders in the US and Israel, have acted unilaterally, without a peaceful, sustainable, end state in mind, causing suffering to innocents.
On January 21, 2003, The Catholic Leader published a column I had written appealing to our government at the time, to not participate in an invasion of Iraq, on both military strategic, and ethical grounds.
I warned that this war would result in catastrophic outcomes and extraordinary suffering for all involved. The outcomes were far worse than what I expected.
Hundreds of thousands were killed and the Middle East descended into anarchy and civil war.
Re-reading that column again today, which put the case of needing to adhere to the “Just war” doctrine, that has formed the basis for Australian military strategic involvement for the last century, I reflect that our US ally has learnt nothing from its catastrophic failures in Iraq and Afghanistan and is now repeating the folly of thinking it can shape the Middle East by use of overwhelming violence.
Just war concepts, initially developed by St Augustine, but now codified in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (para 2309), require all other means of resolution to have been tried, any action to have serious prospects of success and that the use of force must not produce evils and disorders greater than the evil to be eliminated.
I realise that there is little that we can do to stop this insanity and criminality, but we can as a nation, and as the people of God, affirm our desire to not endorse this behaviour, to pray for and promote a dialogue of peace and certainly not be dragged into it ourselves by the current US government.
During my time in Iran, I discovered that many Iranians were a sophisticated peace-loving people, but who despaired over the years of ongoing meddling in their lives by western political and economic agendas.
Yes, they despaired of their fundamentalist government, but that did not stop them fighting doggedly for eight years against the unjust attack on them by Iraq which was supported by the United States.
I do not see them buckling under whatever Israel and the United States now throw up, nor do I see any potential for regime change, despite President Donald Trump’s appeal to them to go out onto the streets and seize power.
Such action will only see them massacred by the 250,000 Revolutionary Guards that the regime has put in place to ensure its survival.
I am grateful that Pope Leo has spoken out so forcefully in calling for a cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue and I would hope that all Christians and people of goodwill will agree with him in promoting peace and avoiding war.
I am conscious that the average Australian who has never witnessed war could see the campaign being waged by Israel and the US, as protecting us from future conflict.
Certainly, all nations, including 93 million Iranians, have a right and obligation to defend themselves from aggression, but what we are witnessing in this conflict goes beyond to what is right, just, and reasonable.
The US has gone in with guns blazing and without a long-term strategy and satisfactory “end state” in mind, and the entire world is feeling the consequences. Unlimited war is not the solution.
Dear friends let us not only pray for peace but advocate strongly to our government to be bastions of right behaviour, observers of international law, and proponents of peace.
May we not get polarised into taking sides attacking each other here and witness to peace by informed dialogue rather than conflict.
May Jesus, the Prince of Peace, guide our thoughts and actions to help us be peacemakers.
Deacon Gary Stone is a veteran, peacemaker, humanitarian and padre. Following graduation from RMC Duntroon in 1973, Gary had a career as an Infantry Officer before being ordained in the Catholic Church as a married Deacon in December 1994, for chaplaincy to the Army and later the Australian Federal Police. He has had operational service in Malaysia , Fiji, Iran-Iraq, East Timor, Thailand, Solomons and Bougainville. Gary has been married to Lynne for over 51 years and they have four adult children, two of whom are Veterans as well. Gary and Lynne live near Mt Tamborine. Gary serves as chaplain for ex service people and their families in south east Queensland. He founded the Veterans Care Association in 2014 to facilitate the delivery of holistic health programs that includes spiritually-based pastoral care to rehabilitate veterans and support their families. He was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2020 for his service to veterans and the people of East Timor.
