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PDF versionVatican UN rep: 'Nuclear weapons no longer morally justified'
by Thomas C. Fox on Jul. 05, 2011
Speaking in Kansas City, Mo. July 1 Archbishop Francis Assisi Chullikatt, Apostolic Nuncio to the United Nations, said there is no longer a moral justification for the continued maintenance of nuclear weapons. He called for a comprehensive convention aimed at the phase out of all nuclear weapons from the world.
“Viewed from a legal, political, security and most of all moral perspective, there is no justification today for the continued maintenance of nuclear weapons,” the archbishop said. “This is the moment to begin addressing in a systematic way the legal, political and technical requisites for a nuclear-weapons-free world.”
Chullikatt said work should begin “as soon as possible” on a convention or framework agreement leading to the phased elimination of all nuclear weapons.
The Holy See, he said, supports this gathering body of work and calls “for more stringent attention to the urgency of implementing a well-founded comprehensive approach to eliminating nuclear weapons.”
The archbishop’s talk was sponsored by the diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph’s human rights office. He spoke before a gathering of 200 at the Catholic Center in downtown Kansas City, Mo.
Chullikatt said that the current phase out of nuclear weapons, built on treaties between Russia and the United States, has been insufficient and, indeed, has led to permanent nuclear weapons deterrence systems.
“It cannot be considered morally sufficient to draw down the stocks of superfluous nuclear weapons while modernizing nuclear arsenals and investing vast sums to ensure their future production and maintenance,” the archbishop said. “This current course will ensure the perpetuation of these weapons indefinitely.”
“For far too long, nuclear weapons have threatened humanity and there has not been sufficient political will toward removing this scourge. Now is the time for a profound rethinking and change in our perception of nuclear weapons."
Chullikatt called for a new approach, a comprehensive effort, through the United Nations, to address nuclear weapons disarmament.
“It is becoming ever clearer that nuclear disarmament must be addressed from a comprehensive approach,” he said. “Despite steps for decades, we still have a profusion of nuclear weapons. The Holy See believes there needs to be a binding together of steps into a coherent commitment to eliminate nuclear weapons in clearly defined phases for an incremental disarmament."
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In an ideal world I agree
In an ideal world I agree with the archbishop. But we live in a real world and there is no guarantee everyone will disarm, even if they swear they will disarm. Humanity has not learned to shun war and forget about developing better weapons than some hypothetical enemy.
Certainly, efforts should be made to reduce weapons and keep them out of the hands of terrorists, but it is a steep uphill battle.
SMART message, DUMB choice of
SMART message, DUMB choice of venue. Or doesn't this guy read the newspaper?
After Three Mile Island,
After Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Japan's earthquake and tsunami related destruction, and the forest fires threatening Los Alamos, the birthplace of a force that neither nature nor man can manage, to say nothing of the outrageous war crimes of destroying everyone and everything in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it is long past time to eliminate all nuclear energy. Why do we persist in threatening the human race and the earth with this devilish Sin of Eden rather than do the research and development of alternative energies to which our politicians give nothing but lip service? How much of our non-stop war makiing since World War II, disguised as defense, has been nothing but a protection of our sources of harmful energy systems?
Nuclear energy is safer than
Nuclear energy is safer than alternative means of generating electricity...just because the pollutions of fossil fuels work more subtly,or the risks of things like dam collapses are less demonized,does not change the statistical results of comparative studies.
I am glad that the Catholic
I am glad that the Catholic powers that be condemn the procuring and deployment of nuclear weapons. They are dangerous devices for humanity. The use of unused fuels from old devices are causing many cancers in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. The use of these weapons threatens all humanity.
However before giving these same men much in the way of recognition because they are enunciating a good position, we must recall their very poor actions when it comes to protecting our children. These men can never be held in any esteem until they recognize the severity of their previous misbehavior. Perhaps the timing of this announcement against nuclear weapons is an attempt to make them seem somehow reasonable men. Even though their proposal to do away with these weapons is reasonable, they can not improve their own integrity by placating the public with a different issue.
dump them. Now. It should
dump them. Now. It should have happened, as Oppenheimer himself put it, the "Day after Trinity" assuming greater intelligence and morality in our genocidal war time leaders
Yet for calling for nuclear disarmament, he was banned from what he built and Teller put in charge, creating greater monstruosities
The complete elimination of
The complete elimination of nuclear weapons would be the worst possible catastrophe for the cause of world peace.Unless all-out maximum war is understood to be too dangerous to contemplate,it will constantly be contemplated until it happens.We have a choice between guaranteeing that stockpiles are kept too large to dare use,or inviting World War III,
While everyone would be happy
While everyone would be happy if they were all destroyed, there is still a problem with the nuncio's statement. Unless there is a universal disarmament in terms of nuclear weapons which can be verified, the retention of the weapons is justified for the simple reason that nations are at risk of nuclear attack & need to maintain a deterrent.
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