{"id":2586957,"date":"2026-04-03T15:56:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T19:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/conservative-catholic-military-archbishop-timothy-broglio-says-iran-war-is-unjust\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T15:59:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T19:59:15","slug":"conservative-catholic-military-archbishop-timothy-broglio-says-iran-war-is-unjust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/conservative-catholic-military-archbishop-timothy-broglio-says-iran-war-is-unjust\/","title":{"rendered":"Conservative Catholic Military Archbishop Timothy Broglio says Iran war is unjust"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fconservative-catholic-military-archbishop-timothy-broglio-says-iran-war-is-unjust%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2586957&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who heads the Archdiocese for the Military Services and is known for his conservative stance, argues that a war with Iran is unjust under Catholic just-war doctrine. In a CBS Face the Nation interview set to air on Easter Sunday, he challenged War Secretary Pete Hegseth\u2019s use of religious language to boost morale and said Catholic service members are not bound to obey every order.He contends the proposed conflict would respond to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-korea-warns-north-korea-against-possible-nuclear-attack\/\" title=\"South Korea cautions North Korea against potential nuclear strike\">potential nuclear threat<\/a> rather than an actual, realized danger, and he frames the church\u2019s just-war theory-rooted in Augustine and Thomas Aquinas-as <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >requiring rigorous moral limits<\/a> on warfare.<\/p>\n<p>Broglio criticizes Hegseth\u2019s prayers for victory and the invocation of Jesus to justify the war as \u201cproblematic,\u201d arguing it\u2019s hard to cast such a war as one sponsored by God. He also weighs in on disobedience, suggesting that whether a service member can resist an order depends on the chain of command, but that Marines typically must obey unless an order is clearly immoral, in which case consultation with a chaplain and command chain is advised to minimize harm and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doug-collins-what-feels-good-does-not-always-heal-you-these-bipartisan-gun-control-measures-are-a-cruel-charade\/\" title=\"Doug Collins: What Feels Good Does Not Always Heal You \u2013 These Bipartisan Gun Control Measures Are a Cruel Charade\">protect innocent lives<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The piece notes that Pope Leo has condemned the war, and that conservative American Catholics have largely supported Trump, making the archbishop\u2019s stance notable.It places the discussion within a broader history of Catholic involvement in warfare and contrasts it with other religious traditions. It also mentions ongoing geopolitical developments, including a UN Security Council delay over Hormuz shipping.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Conservative Catholic Military Archbishop Timothy Broglio says Iran war is unjust<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2551361\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the head of the Archdiocese for the Military Services and a noted conservative, declared that the war with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"100\">Iran<\/a> is unjust.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview set to air Easter Sunday, Broglio told CBS&rsquo;s <em>Face the Nation <\/em>that he took issue with War Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pete-hegseth\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1991\">Pete Hegseth&rsquo;s<\/a> invocation of religion to boost morale in the war. He went so far as to say that <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/catholic-church\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2001\">Catholic<\/a> members of the military aren&rsquo;t bound to obey every order. His comments are particularly notable as he oversees all Catholic chaplains in the U.S. military.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Under just war theory, no,&rdquo; Broglio responded when asked if the war with Iran was justified. The war, he said, &ldquo;anticipates a nuclear threat rather than responding to realized danger.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The archbishop was referring to the Catholic Church&rsquo;s doctrine on when Christians can participate in and support a war. The doctrine began its formation after Christianity first went from a persecuted belief to the state religion of the Roman Empire, with one of its leading authors being St. Augustine. Later Catholic figures, especially St. Thomas Aquinas, further expounded on the theory.<\/p>\n<p>He argued that Hegseth&rsquo;s public prayers for victory and the invocation of Jesus Christ to boost morale were &ldquo;problematic.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to cast this war as something that would be sponsored by the Lord,&rdquo; Broglio said.<\/p>\n<p>He also advised Catholic servicemembers on when to disobey orders, saying it &ldquo;depends on where you are in the in the chain of command.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Obviously, you know the Marine who&rsquo;s given an order, he&rsquo;s not in a position, really, to resist that order,&rdquo; Broglio said. &ldquo;I mean, he has to obey unless it&rsquo;s clearly immoral. And then he would probably have to speak to his, you know, to his chaplain, to his chain of command. So I guess my counsel would be to do as little harm as you can, and to try and preserve innocent lives.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Though Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly condemned the war, even in stronger terms than many of his predecessors, conservative Catholics in the United States have been largely united behind Trump. The rebuke by an archbishop known as one of the more conservative Catholic figures will come as a shock to many conservative Catholics.<\/p>\n<p>Historically, the Catholic Church usually supported Christian states at war, most famously in its explicit call for war to reclaim the Holy Land in the Crusades. This approach had a lasting impact, and even centuries after the mainline Crusades to the Holy Land ended, the pope continued to invoke the concept of holy war to justify resistance against the Ottoman Empire and other Muslim entities. Several popes have even personally led armies into battle, the most recent being Pope Julius II (1503-1513).<\/p>\n<p>As recently as the Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1937, the pope <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/propaganda.pictures\/archives\/10191\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/propaganda.pictures\/archives\/10191\">openly backed<\/a> the Nationalist forces of Gen. Francisco Franco and used partisan rhetoric to describe the conflict. In the U.S., which was skeptical of Catholic influence for much of its existence, bishops took a more nuanced view but were typically supportive. Protestant churches have varied in their stances, but most mainline ones have been strongly supportive of the U.S. during its wars.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, the Orthodox Churches of Ukraine and Russia have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/high-school-football-player-calls-on-gavin-newsom-to-stop-restricting-sports-give-us-a-chance\/\" title=\"High School Football Player Calls On Gavin Newsom To Stop Restricting Sports: Give Us \u2018A Chance...\">openly supported<\/a> their respective governments in the Russia-Ukraine war.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4514969\/un-security-council-delays-vote-on-escorting-ships-through-strait-of-hormuz\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4514969\">UN SECURITY COUNCIL DELAYS VOTE ON ESCORTING SHIPS THROUGH STRAIT OF HORMUZ<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Pope Leo has given strongly worded denunciations of the U.S. war with Iran, both directly and implicitly. Perhaps his harshest call came on Palm Sunday, when he proclaimed that God &ldquo;does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Conservative Catholics in the U.S. have struggled with the sentiment. Most supporters of the war have differentiated between the pope&rsquo;s jurisdiction on theological matters versus political matters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Broglio: Iran war unjust<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2586958,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/8d88e7e6019f77d4a739366d7d7ce49a-scaled-e1775244102817.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[6011,4914,3823,4505,50434],"class_list":["post-2586957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-catholic","tag-conservative","tag-iran","tag-military","tag-war-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/8d88e7e6019f77d4a739366d7d7ce49a-scaled-e1775244102817.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2586957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2586957"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2586957\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2586961,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2586957\/revisions\/2586961"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2586958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2586957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2586957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2586957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}