Nichols supports use of force against IS

Cardinal Vincent Nichols endorsed “proportionate military intervention” against Islamic State (IS) in Syria hours before MPs prepared to vote on the issue, writes Elena Curti.

In a statement on Wednesday, Cardinal Nichols said that force was one of four steps he judged necessary in Iraq and Syria to enable refugees to return home. He said he came to this conclusion after meeting refugees in Iraq last April.

“Effective action is necessary to stop the grave harm being inflicted by IS on civilians. While indiscriminate violence is never justifiable, specific use of force to protect the vulnerable is defensible, if it is combined with sustained diplomatic and humanitarian efforts.

“As Pope Francis has said: where there is unjust aggression, it is licit to stop the aggressor,” he wrote.

The other three steps he recommended were to make villages and towns habitable by clearing landmines and other devices along with reconstructing houses and infrastructure, re-establishing the rule of law and re-establishing trust between the different peoples and faiths.