Holy See expresses 'deep concern’ over growth in nuclear rhetoric

By Joseph Tulloch

Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva, has addressed a UN committee on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

The Archbishop told those gathered for the discussion – officially entitled the "Second Preparatory Committee of the 2026 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons" – of the Holy See’s “deep concern” about nuclear escalation.

Increase in rhetoric and spending

Nuclear weapons pose, said Archbishop Balestrero, an “existential threat”, one which has been exacerbated by the current “tense strategic environment” and the “ongoing modernization and expansion of nuclear arsenals.”

A distinctive feature of Vatican diplomacy on nuclear issues is that the possession of nuclear weapons, even for deterrence, is morally wrong. This was a principle that Archbishop Balestrero underlined, noting that Pope Francis has recently reaffirmed the immorality of both manufacturing and possessing nuclear weapons.

The Archbishop went on to say that the Holy See is concerned both by the “continuing growth in military expenditure related to nuclear weapons” and the “increase in rhetoric and threats about their possible use”. Such actions, he said, are “an affront to humanity as a whole.”

Three concrete proposals

Archbishop Balestrero then said that the Holy See wanted to make three main contributions to the discussion at hand.

Firstly, he said, it is important to recognise that non-proliferation and disarmament, in addition to being legal obligations, are “ethical responsibilities towards all members of the human family”.

The Archbishop quoted Pope Francis who, during his visit to Nagasaki in 2019, said that “Peace and international stability are incompatible with attempts to build upon the fear of mutual destruction or the threat of total annihilation. They can be achieved only on the basis of a global ethic of solidarity and cooperation."

Secondly, Archbishop Balestrero called for "sincere dialogue" aimed at reducing nuclear weapons stockpiles worldwide.

And, lastly, the Archbishop noted that the money spent on nuclear weapons could be better spent on humanitarian projects. For this reason, he said, he wanted to reiterate the Holy See's long-time proposal of establishing a global poverty fund, financed with “portions of the money otherwise spent on weapons and other military expenditures”.

Bringing his address to a close, Archbishop Balestrero reaffirmed the Holy See’s “firm conviction” that a world free of nuclear weapons is "both possible and necessary.”