As tensions rise and nations renew their focus on military might, the Vatican is once again reminding the world of a deeper truth: peace cannot be built on the threat of destruction. Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the UN, urged the global community to recommit itself to disarmament and to the protection of human life over weapons of annihilation.
“The Holy See affirms its unwavering conviction that efforts to control, limit, reduce, and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons are not an unrealistic prospect, but a possibility and an urgent moral imperative,” Archbishop Caccia declared during a recent session of the UN’s First Committee in New York, according to Vatican News. His words echoed the Church’s consistent teaching that peace and human dignity cannot coexist with the existence of weapons capable of wiping out entire populations.
The Church’s Vision of True Security
For decades, the Catholic Church has opposed the notion that nuclear deterrence ensures safety. As Archbishop Caccia stated, “Peace cannot be built on the threat of total destruction or on the illusion that stability can emerge from mutual potential annihilation.” Such a belief, he continued, is “morally indefensible and strategically unsustainable” (Vatican News).
Instead, the Holy See calls for a “human-centered vision of security” rooted in dialogue, fraternity, and respect for the God-given dignity of every person. In this vision, peace flows not from fear or intimidation, but from justice, cooperation, and trust among nations.
Renewed Dangers in the Modern Age
Archbishop Caccia also warned of emerging threats tied to technology and automation. The integration of artificial intelligence and cyber systems into nuclear command structures “shorten decision-making windows, reduce human oversight, and increase the risk of miscalculation and error,” he said, calling this trend a deeply troubling development that “requires sustained attention from the international community” (Vatican News).
In a world already on edge from conflicts and political instability, these developments heighten the danger of accidental or impulsive catastrophe—an outcome that Church leaders have long called both preventable and unacceptable.
A Call to Conscience
The Archbishop called upon all nuclear-armed nations to fulfill their commitments under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), specifically its Article VI, which obliges nations “to negotiate in good faith” toward complete disarmament. He also encouraged states to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and to support related agreements like the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), according to Vatican News.
Behind these appeals is not merely a political agenda, but a profoundly moral one. “The enormous resources devoted to armaments, while so many continue to suffer, constitute a profound moral defeat,” Archbishop Caccia said. The Vatican’s message is clear: true peace cannot exist while billions are spent on tools of death instead of relief for the poor, the sick, and the displaced.
Remembering the Lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Eighty years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Holy See continues to insist that the memory of those tragedies must never fade. “The suffering and destruction” they caused remain “a sobering and enduring reminder of the catastrophic potential of these weapons,” Archbishop Caccia affirmed. Each generation, he implied, bears the moral duty to prevent such devastation from ever occurring again (Vatican News).
Building the Future of Peace
The Church’s call to eliminate nuclear weapons is not an abstract ideal—it is a Gospel demand to uphold life and love over violence and fear. As Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly emphasized in his own addresses, peace is built through conversion of heart and the pursuit of justice rooted in truth.
The Vatican’s appeal at the United Nations reminds all people of goodwill that disarmament is not merely a political process—it is a spiritual responsibility. In the words of Archbishop Caccia, lasting security requires “protecting life, promoting justice, and fostering peace.”
