The U.S. Catholic Bishops and Selective Conscientious Objection: History and Logic of the Position

The purpose of this chapter is to trace the history and content of the U.S. Catholic bishops' position on Selective Conscientious Objection (SCO). The paper will proceed in three steps: (1) an interpretation of the development and logic of Catholic moral teaching on warfare; (2) an exposition of the specific statements on SCO made by the bishops; and (3) a commentary on the questions which flow from the tradition and the position of SCO.