Vatican Accuses EU of Double Standards in Imposing Sanctions Over Wars
Cardinal Fernandez accused the European Union of selective justice and called for abandoning the use of the doctrine of 'just war'.
Vatican Prefect of the Doctrine of the Faith Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez has accused the European Union of selectively applying international law and imposing sanctions solely for political gain. This was reported by Politico.
At a closed conference of cardinals in Rome, the head of the dicastery stated that Brussels punishes some states for military invasions while ignoring aggression on the part of its allies.
"The European Union imposes economic sanctions against one country and sends financial aid and weapons to another, but does not do the same in the face of other, even more serious invasions with even more brutal consequences," Fernandez emphasized.
According to the Prefect, modern governments bend moral and legal principles to political convenience instead of adhering to universal standards. He noted that if a country is an enemy, it is condemned as undemocratic, but if it is an ally, the absence of freedom of speech and human rights is simply ignored. The Cardinal stated that there is no longer a stable foundation of truth and values in world politics.
Special attention at the meeting was given to the revision of the traditional doctrine of the "just war." The Vatican believes that this concept is often used to legitimize the most unjust conflicts. Fernandez called for interpreting the right to self-defense in the strictest sense, rejecting the logic of preemptive wars, which authorities of various countries use to justify interventions from Ukraine to the Middle East.
As the SPJ reported, Vance advised the Pope not to interfere in politics.
