en en en en en en en en en es en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en es en en en en en en en en en en ru en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en es en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en fr en en en en en nl en en en en en en en en en en en en en de en sv en en de en en en en en de en en it en en en en en en en en en en en en
As the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons enters into force, the Holy See doubles down on its "No Nukes" stance
By Loup Besmond de Senneville | Vatican City
The Holy See has doubled down on its well-known opposition to the possession and use of nuclear weapons, even as the United States and the world's other nuclear powers continue to resist international efforts for a ban.
"I strongly encourage all States and all people to work decisively toward promoting conditions necessary for a world without nuclear weapons," Pope Francis tweeted on January 22, the very day the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons entered into force.
The 84-year-old pope urged world leaders to commit themselves "to the advancement of#peace and multilateral cooperation which humanity greatly needs today".
"A challenge and a moral and humanitarian imperative"
In a lengthy interview published the day before the papal tweet, the Vatican "foreign minister" said the use and possession of such arms must be "continually disapproved and delegitimized".
He also rejected the concept of nuclear deterrence.
"International peace and security cannot be based on the threat of mutual destruction or total annihilation, nor can they be based on maintaining a balance of power or regulating relations by replacing 'the force of law' with 'the law of force'," said the 67-year-old archbishop.
He said world peace must be based "on dialogue and solidarity, on justice, on integral human development, on respect for fundamental human rights, on the care for creation, on the promotion of educational and health facilities, on building trust among peoples".
Gallagher, a career papal diplomat who was born and raised in Liverpool (England), said efforts towards peace must "go beyond nuclear deterrence".
The Holy See was among the first States, along with Thailand and Guyana, to ratify the UN anti-nuclear treaty in September 2017.
The treaty currently has 86 signatories and has been ratified in 51 of those member states.
But the nine countries that are known to possess nuclear weapons are not among them: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel.
"We are concerned that the nuclear powers often seem to be turning away from nuclear multilateralism and the negotiating table," Archbishop Gallagher said.
In particular, he lamented the "abandonment of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty" and "the weakening of the Iranian JCPOA (Comprehensive Joint Plan of Action)".
Pope Francis has spoken out against nuclear weapons on numerous occasions.
None was more memorable than during his November 2019 visit to Nagasaki in Japan.
"A world of peace, free from nuclear weapons, is the aspiration of millions of men and women everywhere," the pope said.
He even called nuclear deterrence "perverse" and "immoral".
Disagreement between Paris and Rome
The issue of deterrence remains one of the main stumbling blocks between the Holy See and the nuclear powers.
For instance, La Croix has received confirmation that the issue is the subject of regular discussions between France and the Vatican. But the two sides have been unable to reconcile their differing opinions.
The Vatican would like to see a "concrete approach" to the issue.
But some officials at the French foreign ministry believe the Holy See's firm stance against any possession of nuclear weapons would lock the country into a moral posture that is not applicable.
The stalemate has thus made their attempts to discuss the issue of deterrence practically impossible.
Get the latest from La Croix International. Sign up to receive our daily newsletter.
You may also like
Indonesian school in hot water over headscarf rule
A new regime and its challenges in America
A charade of unity
Encountering the power and beauty of the Sacred Scriptures
Trump impeachment trial risks further division
SUPPORT LA CROIX INTERNATIONAL’S COMMUNITY OF READERS
Support La Croix International's unique blend of international Catholic journalism by making it available to people in Asia and Africa who can't afford a subscription and often don't have credit cards to pay for it either.
Synodal virtues: valuing and extending theological education
Recently ordained Congolese bishop is big on synodality
Church leaders should engage social media’s Catholic influencers
The business of simply living a normal social life
Celebrating gay relationships in church is actually quite Catholic
Why Pope Francis did not attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral
Celebrating gay relationships in church is actually quite Catholic
The elderly pope's patience is put to the test
Elizabeth II, the “last Christian monarch”, has died
A challenge for Europe
Shaking up the economy
Peace, our common good
For 70 years she “was” the United Kingdom
Cooperation rather than competition
The elderly pope's patience is put to the test
Francis continues his push for a humbler, more open Church
The pope and the praying menace
What was the August meeting of cardinals really about?
Is Christian hospitality enough?
"What fraternity does assisted suicide build?"
Live, learn, forget, repeat
When timing is paramount
The pandemic, Christian faith and the perils of kids living in the digital world
"It’s been powerful to watch people enunciate a theology of care for creation"
Laudato si’ guides Indian archdiocese to help fisherfolk
Brazilian bishops stand up for the Yanomami people
The Gaia Man, James Lovelock
Pope calls for a new relationship with God, others and Creation
| Catholic Digest | UCAN | Living in faith | La Croix Africa | La Croix español
About Us | Contact Us| Newsletter Sign-up| Donate| Terms and Conditions| FAQ| La Croix| Confidentiality Policy| Sitemap