CSDC 514

Terrorism is to be condemned in the most absolute terms. It shows complete contempt for human life and can never be justified, since the human person is always an end and never a means. Acts of terrorism strike at the heart of human dignity and are an offence against all humanity; “there exists, therefore, a right to defend oneself from terrorism”.¹⁰⁸¹ John Paul II, Message for the 2002 World Day of Peace, 5: AAS 94AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 94 (2002) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (2002), 134. However, this right cannot be exercised in the absence of moral and legal norms, because the struggle against terrorists must be carried out with respect for human rights and for the principles of a State ruled by law.¹⁰⁸² Cf. John Paul II, Message for the 2004 World Day of Peace, 8: AAS 96AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 96 (2004) at vatican.va — list of its scanned parts (2004), 119. The identification of the guilty party must be duly proven, because criminal responsibility is always personal, and therefore cannot be extended to the religions, nations or ethnic groups to which the terrorists belong. International cooperation in the fight against terrorist activity “cannot be limited solely to repressive and punitive operations. It is essential that the use of force, even when necessary, be accompanied by a courageous and lucid analysis of the reasons behind terrorist attacks”.¹⁰⁸³ John Paul II, Message for the 2004 World Day of Peace, 8: AAS 96AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 96 (2004) at vatican.va — list of its scanned parts (2004), 119. Also needed is a particular commitment on the “political and educational levels” ¹⁰⁸⁴ John Paul II, Message for the 2004 World Day of Peace, 8: AAS 96AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 96 (2004) at vatican.va — list of its scanned parts (2004), 119. in order to resolve, with courage and determination, the problems that in certain dramatic circumstances can foster terrorism: “the recruitment of terrorists in fact is easier in situations where rights are trampled and injustices are tolerated over a long period of time”¹⁰⁸⁵ John Paul II, Message for the 2002 World Day of Peace, 5: AAS 94AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 94 (2002) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (2002), 134..