The true nature of ISIS’ war against the West was made plain at the parish church of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray near Rouen, France, on Tuesday.

Fr. Jacques Hamel, 86, was celebrating morning Mass when two jihadists entered the church, made him kneel down, and then slit his throat while filming this barbaric murder. A parishioner who was at the Mass was also attacked and is now clinging to life.

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ISIS claimed responsibility for this attack in France, a country that ISIS calls part of the “crusader coalition.” This is a religious war, whether we like it or not. Jihadists kill in the name of Islam — and they kill Christians because they are Christians.

Popes no longer call for crusades — but that fact is disregarded by the Islamic fanatics of ISIS, who see France and her allies, especially the United States, as enemies of their religion.

Fr. Hamel’s vicious murder was a direct attack upon Catholicism, which the murderers see as the principal enemy. Western nations are called crusaders because ISIS views them as agents of Christianity. ISIS wants to subdue and eliminate all non-Muslim countries as it pursues the goal of a global caliphate, a Muslim supra-state that would replace the existing nations of the world.

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A Catholic priest embodies the soul of European culture. Murdering a priest is symbolic of the intention to kill the entire Christian West. Muslim expansionist warfare has historically been directed at conquering the Christian nations of Europe. ISIS is carrying out that warfare today — and the past few weeks have shown that they have agents of death all over Europe.

Fr. Hamel is a true martyr. He died because of “odium fidei” (hatred of the faith), the classic description of martyrdom. His murder demonstrates, if this were not already clear, the evil present in the jihadist vision of religion.

The nations of the free world must vigorously resist the jihadist enterprise until it is completely neutralized. This warfare carried out in defense of the lives and freedom of the peoples of Europe and America is a solemn duty of our governments. It is a just war.

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The Catechism of the Catholic Church lays out the conditions for just recourse to military force:

“The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration. The gravity of such a decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of moral legitimacy. At one and the same time…

  • The damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
  • All other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
  • There must be serious prospects of success;
  • The use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modem means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition. These are the traditional elements enumerated in what is called the ‘just war’ doctrine.”

Those conditions are clearly present here. The catechism also praises the service of those who wage this just war when it says: “Those who are sworn to serve their country in the armed forces are servants of the security and freedom of nations. If they carry out their duty honorably, they truly contribute to the common good of the nation and the maintenance of peace.

Fr. Hamel has gone to his eternal reward — and his example of fidelity right up to the end should inspire us to act with firm purpose to prevent further such barbaric outrages. Requiescat in pace.

Rev. Gerald E. Murray, J.C.D., is pastor of Holy Family Church in New York.