Pope Leo XIV called for responsible use of atomic energy yesterday, the 40th anniversary of the Soviet-era disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Source: Crux.
More than two dozen people died in the April 1986 incident and its immediate aftermath, while thousands of people have suffered serious health consequences resulting from radiation exposure during the four decades that have since passed.
The Chernobyl incident is widely considered the worst nuclear power disaster in history and is one of only two nuclear power plant failures to reach maximum severity on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s INES scale of international nuclear and radiological events.
Management of the Chernobyl crisis by Soviet authorities in Moscow and Ukraine has been scrutinised and heavily criticised over the years.
The other failure was the Fukushima disaster in 2011, brought on by a tsunami that struck Japan’s eastern coast.
“Today marks the 40th anniversary of the tragic incident in Chernobyl,” the pontiff said, noting how the disaster “left a lasting mark on the conscience of humanity.”
Pope Leo said Chernobyl “serves as a warning regarding the inherent risks of using increasingly powerful technologies”.
“Let us entrust those who died and all who still suffer from the aftermath of the disaster to God’s mercy,” he said
The Pope also expressed hope “that discernment and responsibility will always prevail at every level of decision-making so that all use of atomic energy may be placed at the service of life and peace.”
From the very beginning of his pontificate, Leo XIV has been concerned with the disruptive effect of technology on human affairs.
He chose his regnal name largely in view of his predecessor, Leo XIII, who addressed the disruptions of the great 19th-century industrial revolution in his encyclical letter, Rerum Novarum.
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Pope remembers Chernobyl disaster, calls for responsible use of atomic energy (Crux)
