1810175. When is it morally permitted to use military force?

483. When is it morally permitted to use military force? The use of military force is morally justified when the following conditions are simultaneously present: the suffering inflicted by the aggressor must be lasting, grave and certain; all other peaceful means must have been shown to be ineffective; there are well founded prospects of success; the use of arms, especially given the power of modern weapons of mass destruction, must not produce evils graver than the evil to be eliminated. Further reading: CCC 2307-2310 484. In danger of war, who has the responsibility for the rigorous evaluation of these conditions? This responsibility belongs to the prudential judgment of government officials who also have the right to impose on citizens the obligation of national defense. The personal right to conscientious objection makes an exception to this obligation which should then be carried out by another form of service to the human community. Further reading: CCC 2309