Ankara: The Vatican's top doctrinal official has accused the European Union of selectively applying international law in its response to armed conflicts, suggesting that political and economic interests are increasingly shaping government positions on war. Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, made these remarks on Friday while opening a closed-door meeting convened by Pope Leo XIV, which included cardinals from around the world. The meeting focused on war and the Catholic Church's response to modern conflicts.

According to Anadolu Agency, the extraordinary gathering was convened by the pope to examine what he described as a global "culture of power" fueling contemporary wars, and to consider a reassessment of the Church's traditional doctrine of just war. Fernandez criticized how governments are interpreting moral and legal principles based on political convenience rather than universal standards.

Fernandez stated, "If a country is an enemy, it is condemned as undemocratic and sanctioned in various ways; but if it is an ally, the fact that it lacks freedom of expression, human rights or democracy is ignored." He also criticized the EU for imposing sanctions on certain countries while providing financial and military support to others, failing to respond similarly to "other, even more serious invasions with even more brutal consequences for entire populations."

He argued that these contradictions indicate that in practice, concerns are reduced to the political and economic interests of different regions around the globe. Fernandez claimed there is no longer a real and stable framework of truth and values. He also noted that governments have expanded the concept of legitimate self-defense beyond its original meaning, citing Russia, the US, and other powers for using broad claims of self-defense to justify military interventions worldwide.

Fernandez warned that the Catholic doctrine of just war has been manipulated to legitimize "the most unjust wars," emphasizing that it should be interpreted "in the strictest sense" and rejecting the concept of preventive war. Following the discussions, a Vatican summary indicated that many cardinals supported moving beyond the traditional doctrine of just war.