Peace and War in Today's World

Wasn't Jesus a pacifist, and isn't that the purest form of Christianity? Is peace possible in this world, except through the surrender of one side? Doesn't "just war theory" baptise aggressive wars like the Crusades? Once you are in a war, shouldn't you simply fight to win, without worrying about rules? Who has a right to decide if a war is just? Can ancient teaching on "just war" be relevant in an age of nuclear weapons, or terrorism? Catholic teaching has addressed these and other questions for centuries: this booklet presents the answers and explains why the Church teaches them.