Pope Francis says use of force in Iraq is justified to protect Christian minority

Pope Francis has weighed into the debate over military intervention in Iraq, saying that the use of force is justified to protect religious minorities from Islamic militants.

The pontiff said that he and his advisers were actively discussing whether he would go to northern Iraq in a show of solidarity with the persecuted Christian community.

The Christian population in Iraq have been the target of Islamic State extremists in recent weeks, with reports that they have forced thousands to either convert to Islam or flee their homes.

“In these cases, where there is an unjust aggression, I can only say that it is licit to stop the unjust aggressor,” Pope Francis said.

“I underscore the verb ‘stop.’ I’m not saying ‘bomb’ or ‘make war,’ just ‘stop.’ And the means that can be used to stop them must be evaluated.”

Pope Francis went on to say that “one nation alone cannot judge how you stop this” and called for an international response to the violence in Iraq.

Catholic dogma supports the concept of ‘just war’ when force can be used to achieve a humanitarian outcome.