vaticannews.va
2026-04-17
Since the tragedy caused by the atomic bombings of Japan in August 1945, the Church has reflected on the risk of humanity destroying itself.
In his Christmas Radio Message of 1955, Pius XII spoke of the nuclear threat, explaining that "there will be no cry of victory, but only the inconsolable weeping of humanity, which will desolately contemplate the catastrophe brought about by its own folly." In the encyclical Pacem in terris, published immediately after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Pope St. John XXIII stated with regard to atomic weapons: "Consequently people are living in the grip of constant fear. They are afraid that at any moment the impending storm may break upon them with horrific violence. And they have good reasons for their fear, for there is certainly no lack of such weapons. While it is difficult to believe that anyone would dare to assume responsibility for initiating the appalling slaughter and destruction that war would bring in its wake, there is no denying that the conflagration could be started by some chance and unforeseen circumstance."
In June 1968, Pope Paul VI hoped for and invoked, "in the name of all humanity," the "total ban on nuclear weapons" and "general and complete disarmament." Meanwhile, in February 1981 in Hiroshima, John Paul II cried out: "Our future on this planet, exposed as it is to the risk of nuclear annihilation, depends on one factor alone: humanity must undergo a moral transformation. At this moment in history, there must be a general mobilization of all men and women of good will. Humanity is called to take a further step forward, a step toward civilization and wisdom." In May 2010, Pope Benedict XVI stated: "I encourage the initiatives that seek progressive disarmament and the creation of zones free of nuclear weapons, with a view to their complete elimination from the planet."