Scottish Catholic Observer

Campaigners for peace and justice endured a biting wind at the protest at Faslane Naval Base on April 13, where Bishop Nolan told members of the Church’s Justice and Peace Scotland commission and Scottish Christians Against Nuclear Arms (SCANA) that their presence causes bomb-makers to ‘question what they are doing.’

Bishop Nolan held aloft a small cutting of a thorn bush while he addressed the crowd outside the gates of Faslane.

Thorn in the flesh

“This is you, this is us, this is a thorn, we are a thorn in the flesh and the side of the UK government, the establishment and the military because we prod their conscience,” he said.

“Now there may only be a few of us here today but if you step on this with your big toe then you are going to feel it.

“Our presence here causes them to question what they are doing, question the vast sums of money being spent on nuclear weapons and question the even bigger amounts being spent on renewing the whole Trident system.”

Trident

About 50 people attended the annual event, at which Bishop Nolan commented on the ‘scandalous renewal of Trident.’

He added: “This money of course could be better spent in actually doing good in the world, helping to alleviate poverty or the causes of injustice.

“And of course one of the things that is scandalous is how easily any proposal to renew Trident in parliament gets passed.

“Everyone seems to have bought into the fallacy of nuclear deterrents as if some how or other peace is established.

“If you put a gun to someone’s head and they hold a gun to your head, well in this case it’s not guns that are being pointed but nuclear missiles, which can lead to the destruction of humanity. That is not peace.

“Peace is when nations and people come together, try and understand each other, respect each other and try and live harmoniously together not living under the threat of nuclear destruction.”

Faslane Trident: 50 years on

Trident is the name of the UK’s nuclear weapons, which have been based at Faslane on the Clyde for half a century.

On July 19, 2016, 58 of Scotland’s 59 MPs voted against the decision to renew the Trident nuclear weapons system. The Scottish Bishops have consistently opposed nuclear weapons.

Nukes will ‘destroy’ planet

A spokesperson for Justice and Peace Scotland said they were ‘delighted’ that Bishop Nolan gave the rally his support.

“We urge everyone who is concerned about the environment to join the campaign to rid Scotland of nuclear weapons of mass destruction,” they added.

“These weapons deployed in error or with intent will completely destroy our planet making it uninhabitable for all life.”