August 6-9 period commemorates the 76th anniversary of the U.S. nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki marking the end of World War II. On this anniversary, the world remembers the tragic outcome of using nuclear weapons that have adverse effects on humans, nature, and the world at large.
Pope Francis has all the time been a vociferous opponent to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. During his historic visit to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 2019, the Pope declared that "the use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral, just as the possessing of nuclear weapons is immoral." He added, the world "must never grow weary of working to support the principal international legal instruments of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, including the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons." In his 1976 World Day of Peace Message, Pope Paul VI also described the atomic bombings of Japan during World War II as "a butchery of untold magnitude."
With the deleterious and irreversible damage that can be caused by resorting to nuclear weapons in wars, it is to be admitted that the possession of nuclear weapons is immoral and not acceptable in a world that has become weary of military conflagrations spreading in various parts of the world and popping up from time to time.
Resorting to nuclear weapons in wars can actually be termed as an arbitrary crime that can simply be referred to as a means designed to end life. This dear life, which Lord Jesus offered to the people whom He loves, is being manipulated by peoples and world leaders who proudly compete to regularly tamper with this precious divine gift.
On Easter Sunday 2021, His Holiness Pope Francis sent a firm message to world leaders calling on them to end the “scandal” of armed conflicts and the increased military spending.
It is worthy to note that this is not the first time that Pope Francis makes such a plea as he frequently called for disarmament and ruled that the possession of nuclear weapons is immoral. As he prayed that Lord Jesus would inspire world leaders to curb the race for new weaponry and to help overcome the mindset of war, he warned that “there are still too many wars and too much violence in the world!”
The Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) in Jordan had earlier highlighted His Holiness Pope Francis' Message for the 54th World Day of Peace titled, "No Peace Without a Culture of Care "which offers the Church’s social doctrine as a "compass" to foster a culture of care for peace in the world.
In a statement issued by CCSM Director Fr. Dr. Rif'at Bader, he said: “The Message of World Day of Peace 2021 emphasizes that a culture of care is a distinct vehicle for peace-building. The noble human end can only be attained when the culture of care is viewed as a shared and participatory commitment designed to protect and promote human dignity, by serving as a step to maintain a willingness to care, to draw attention, as well as to demonstrate solidarity, respect and mutual acceptance, in lieu of the culture of indifference, marginalization and conflict that often pervades the mindset of today's world.”
With world countries suffering from galloping disasters caused by endless wars which boomerang in the form of unemployment, poverty, hunger and diseases, it is imperative not to waste money on wars but rather to invest funds on useful projects that help alleviate the peoples’ suffering in all fields mostly in the fields of unemployment and healthcare by launching industrial and agricultural projects that eliminate poverty.
On this bitter anniversary, let the entire world reiterate Pope Francis' words which he uttered during his March 5-8 visit to Iraq when he said, “Let us silence the cries of death, no more wars… May the weapons be silenced … May there be an end to acts of violence and extremism.”
Despite the fact that the nuclear threat is exorbitant, it is still surmountable once people trust their future in the Lord Jesus, the Prince of Peace, and capitalize on mutual feelings of common living, love, and peace.
