Sacramentum Pacis: Canon Law and the Call to Peace

As Catholic teaching moves decisively toward peace-condemning even the possession of nuclear weapons and questioning the morality of war-canon law has remained largely unchanged. Sacramentum Pacis exposes this silence at the heart of the Church's legal system and asks what it means for Catholics who serve in militaries, work in defense industries, or face the moral crises of modern warfare. Drawing on theology, philosophy, and international humanitarian law, the author traces the evolution of canonical thought from Augustine and Aquinas to Pope Francis. The book then proposes a renewed canon law of peace: one that recognizes conscientious objection, enforces accountability for war crimes, restricts participation in autonomous weapons programs, and establishes legal structures for peacemaking within the Church. At once juridical, theological, and prophetic, Sacramentum Pacis argues that canon law must become what the Church herself is called to be- a sign and instrument of Christ's peace. Cor P.M. van Houte, Doctor of Laws, is a military analyst.