Pope Francis called military disarmament a “moral obligation” for nations on the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation.
He lamented the amount of resources spent on military expenditures due to the current geopolitical situation.
Pope Francis said, “How many resources are wasted on military expenditure, which, because of the current situation, sadly continues to increase!”
“The international community will understand that disarmament is first and foremost a duty, and that disarmament is a moral obligation,” said the Pope.
Th Pope added, “Let’s get this into our heads. And this requires the courage of all members of the great family of nations to move from a balance of fear to a balance of trust.”
The Pope expressed hope that the international community understands disarmament as a duty rather than an option.
Pope Francis has long advocated for banning all weapons, suggesting this is necessary for true world peace since the mere existence of arms leads humanity to live in “fear of war.”
He is the only pope to declare that possessing nuclear weapons, not just using them, is immoral.
The Catholic Church has a history of criticizing arms buildup and proliferation, but Francis is unique in calling for an outright ban on all types of weapons, from rifles to grenades to ceremonial arms like those carried by the Swiss Guard in Vatican City.
