Scottish Catholic Observer

“The threat of their use as well as their very possession is to be firmly condemned,” the Pope told participants at a conference on nuclear disarmament hosted by the Vatican last weekend.

The conference, sponsored by the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, brought together 11 Nobel laureates, top officials from the United Nations and NATO, diplomats from around the world and experts in nuclear weapons and the disarmament process. They were joined by scholars, activists and representatives of bishops’ conferences.

Several speakers, including Masako Wada, one of the last survivors of the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945, were to discuss the suffering wrought by nuclear arms.

Pope Francis told the group that the ‘essential’ witness of survivors of the bombings in Japan as well as those suffering the effects of nuclear weapons testing are prophetic voices that serve ‘as a warning, above all for coming generations.’

In his speech, the Pope said that when it comes to the ideal of a nuclear-free world, a ‘certain pessimism’ exists and brings with it ‘considerable expense’ as nations modernise their nuclear arsenals.

“As a result, the real priorities facing our human family, such as the fight against poverty, the promotion of peace, the undertaking of educational, ecological and health care projects, and the development of human rights, are relegated to second place,” he said.

Pope Francis said the existence of weapons whose use would result in the destruction of humanity is‘senseless even from a tactical standpoint.’

A spokesperson for the Scottish Church said: “Pope Francis offers a timely reminder that a sustained and incessant global arms race diverts our attention from the ‘real priorities facing our human family, such as the fight against poverty, the promotion of peace, the undertaking of educational and healthcare projects and the development of human rights.’

“The use of any weapon that causes more than individual and proportionate harm to civilians is immoral and, thus, rejected by the Church. We must continue to strive for a world free from nuclear arms and for integral disarmament, ‘inspired by an ethics of solidarity.’”