U.S. prelates attended commemoration events in Japan for the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The delegation included Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle, and Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe. The bishops, along with Catholic bishops from Japan and South Korea, condemned wars, conflicts, and the use of nuclear weapons. The statement advocated for the ratification and expansion of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
4 months ago
As the world marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a "Pilgrimage of Peace" has brought U.S. archbishops, Catholic university leaders, and students to Japan 1. This delegation, including Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle, and Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, was welcomed by Japanese and South Korean Catholic bishops 1. The pilgrimage, from August 5-10, aims to renew the Catholic Church's commitment to nonviolence, disarmament, and lasting peace 1.
In a joint statement issued on August 6, the participating bishops, alongside atomic bombing survivor organizations, unequivocally condemned "all wars and conflicts, the use and possession of nuclear weapons, and the threat to use nuclear weapons" 1. They explicitly rejected the persistent justifications for atomic bombings as a means of ending war 1. The statement also advocated for the ratification and expansion of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, emphasizing cooperation with its articles on supporting victims and environments harmed by such armaments 1.
Cardinal Cupich presided over a Mass for peace in Hiroshima on August 6, the anniversary of the bombing 1. He drew a stark parallel between the destructive power of nuclear fission and the "destructive chain reaction" caused by sowing division, anger, resentment, and bigotry 1. Cupich stressed that while the Transfiguration of the Lord revealed humanity's calling to divine glory, in Hiroshima, "light brought unimaginable destruction, darkness and death," urging the creation of new paths towards lasting peace 1.
Cardinal McElroy delivered an address in Hiroshima, reflecting on the renewal of Catholic teaching on war and peace amidst escalating geopolitical tensions and military spending 1. He described the atomic bombings as an inflection point that demanded humanity confront the core reality of war and its underlying moral failures 1. McElroy highlighted St. John XXIII's 1963 encyclical, Pacem in Terris, as a foundational text that recognized nuclear weapons' capacity to end humanity and called for disarmament 1.
McElroy identified three significant shifts in contemporary Catholic thought regarding war and peace 1. Firstly, he stressed the need to fundamentally renew and prioritize non-violent action as the primary framework for Catholic teaching, given the multitude of ongoing global conflicts and soaring military expenditures 1. Secondly, he critiqued the "just war tradition," arguing that it has often been misused to justify war rather than constrain it, and that it struggles to provide relevant moral guidance in the complex modern geopolitical landscape involving non-state actors and intricate alliances 1. Lastly, McElroy noted the increasing papal condemnation of nuclear deterrence, culminating in Pope Francis's categorical declaration that the possession of nuclear weapons is "morally illicit" 1. He underscored the urgent need for collective action to eliminate nuclear arsenals, warning against the dangerous lesson that nuclear ownership might be seen as the only way to prevent attack 1.
What is the Church's teaching on nuclear weapons?
The Catholic Church's teaching on nuclear weapons has evolved, moving towards a stronger condemnation of their possession and use, while consistently advocating for disarmament and peace.
The Church's concern about weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear arms, dates back to the mid-20th century. Pope Pius XII, as early as 1946, acknowledged the "might of new instruments of destruction" and their impact on international discussions about disarmament . Subsequent popes and the Second Vatican Council continued to address the issue, adapting their convictions to the changing landscape of armaments and arms control .
Pope Francis has unequivocally stated that "the use of nuclear weapons, as well as their mere possession, is immoral" . This position is rooted in the understanding that the premise of nuclear weapons as deterrence is flawed, as it "inevitably ends up poisoning relationships between peoples and obstructing any possible form of real dialogue" . The Holy See emphasizes that the employment of nuclear weapons, even by accident, could lead to "appalling slaughter and destruction," and that the catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences necessitate a reconception of security away from a balance of arms towards integral disarmament .
The Magisterium explicitly condemns any act of war "aimed indiscriminately at the destruction of entire cities or extensive areas along with their population" as a "crime against God and man himself," meriting "unequivocal and unhesitating condemnation" . This applies particularly to arms of mass destruction—biological, chemical, or nuclear—and those who possess them bear an "enormous responsibility before God and all of humanity" .
While the concept of nuclear deterrence was once viewed with strong moral reservations, the Church's teaching has moved to reject it as a viable long-term strategy for peace . The "accumulation of arms strikes many as a paradoxically suitable way of deterring potential adversaries from war," but the Church teaches that "the arms race does not ensure peace. Far from eliminating the causes of war, it risks aggravating them" . Policies of nuclear deterrence, characteristic of the Cold War era, "must be replaced with concrete measures of disarmament based on dialogue and multilateral negotiations" .
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) urges that nuclear deterrence be replaced with concrete measures of disarmament based on dialogue and multilateral negotiations . They also advocate for the U.S. to commit to never using nuclear weapons first and to reject their use to deter non-nuclear threats .
The Church's social teaching proposes the goal of "general, balanced and controlled disarmament" . The enormous increase in arms poses a grave threat to stability and peace . The principle of sufficiency dictates that each state should possess only the means necessary for its legitimate defense .
The Church consistently calls for:
The Catholic Church's teaching on nuclear weapons is clear: their use and possession are immoral, and nuclear deterrence is a flawed and dangerous strategy. The Church consistently advocates for comprehensive and verifiable nuclear disarmament, urging nations to pursue dialogue and multilateral negotiations to achieve a world free from these weapons of mass destruction.