Cardinal Peter Turkson said the Holy See aims to shine a light on the “catastrophic impact” of nuclear deterrence, mutually assured destruction and the arms race have in society, while renewing the Pope’s call for a world free of nuclear weapons. Source: Crux.
“On international relations and within the new multipolar order, a climate of fear and mistrust and opposition prevails,” the head of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development told a Vatican-sponsored webinar on nuclear weapons last week.
“The danger is also posed by non-state actors and terrorist groups that are becoming more and more violent, especially if we consider the danger posed by nuclear and biochemical weapons that sometimes fall into their hands.”
Cardinal Turkson’s address to the webinar came during the presentation of A World Free from Nuclear Weapons, published in August. The volume contains the papers from a major symposium held by the Vatican in 2017 to relaunch efforts towards creating a world free of nuclear weapons.
Two of the deepest longings of the human heart, Cardinal Turkson said, are peace and stability, and the possession of nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruction are not the answer to these desires.
“Unfortunately, our world is marked by a pervasive dichotomy that tries to defend and ensure stability and peace through force and by maintaining a mentality of fear and mistrust,” he said. “This generates a poisonous relationship between people and obstructs any form of dialogue.”
“But to speak out against the arms race will never be enough.”
FULL STORY
Top Vatican officials call for world free of nuclear weapons (By Ines San Martin, Crux)
