Catholic Church against war on Iraq

The Roman Catholic Church has taken a firm stance against the U.S. plan to invade Iraq.

Pope John Paul II's Peace Minister, Pío Cardinal Laghi[?], was sent by the Church to talk with George W. Bush to express opposition to the war on Iraq. The Catholic Church says that it is up to the United Nations to solve the international conflict through diplomacy.

Crime against peace

The person in charge for the Relations with the States, Archbishop Jean Louis Tauran[?], said that only the UN can decide on a military attack against Iraq, because a unilateral war would be a crime against peace and a crime against international law.

The Secretary of State of the Vatican indicated that only the United Nations Security Council has the power to approve an attack in self-defense, and only in case of a previous aggression. His opinion is this is not the case and that an unilateral aggression would be a crime against peace and a violation of the Geneva Convention.