Monsignor George Carroll a missionary from the Maryknoll Foreign Mission Society was prominent in establishing the military chaplaincy in the early days of the Korean War.
His diary, written in September 1950, mentions a meeting to prepare for military service. According to this record, a list of three: a Presbyterian, one Methodist, and one Catholic was to be presented to the president. President Syngman Rhee said that the three would have the same authority and since the government didn't have the money they would have to finance the system with their own funds.
Monsignor Carroll later became a military chaplain and witnessed the horrors of war firsthand. An October 3, 1950 diary he left behind tells the reality of war in which not only enemy attacks but also friendly military operations threaten civilians.
"The weather was cloudy and gloomy all day. Father Deslandes (The founder of Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Father Nam Lois Deslandes ( 1895 ~ 1972 ) came today and looked healthy told the story of the bombardment— 12 shells fell and all windows of the relief building were shattered in which they were staying. 130 people, including orphans, the elderly, nuns, and French bishops and priests, were all unharmed. They prayed to Our Lady to protect them."
On February 24, the war in Ukraine began 'suddenly'. Contrary to the expectations of experts, Russia carried out an all-out invasion. As the war continues, young soldiers who are not responsible for the situation continue to be driven into the battlefield. And the sad news of the loss of civilians makes our hearts heavy.
The theory of "just warfare" that distinguishes combatants from non-combatants is a rule that is difficult to follow in reality. In fact, advanced weapons with powerful destructive power are causing more severe civilian casualties than in the past. The greatest victims of unjust wars have been and continue to be the weakest in any society.
Therefore, the anti-war church teaches: "The fifth commandment forbids the intentional destruction of human life. Because of the evils and injustices that accompany all war, the Church insistently urges everyone to pray and to action so that the divine Goodness may free us from the ancient bondage of war." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2307).
Pray for an end to the war in Ukraine, and let us pray earnestly that true peace can be realized on the Korean Peninsula in this land where the danger of war continues to be present.
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