Pope Francis on the Existence of Nuclear Weapons

Pope Francis has called for the establishment of a new, better peace on earth, articulated in his book titled "I Ask You in the Name of God: Ten Prayers for Hope for the Future." Excerpts from the Pope's new work, set to be published on October 18, have been released by the Turin newspaper La Stampa on Sunday.

In the book, the Pope specifically addresses the issue of war in the modern world, which he describes as a "failure of politics." He states, "War is an ineffective response. It never resolves the problems it seeks to overcome. Perhaps Yemen, Libya, or Syria, to cite a few contemporary examples, are better off today than they were before the conflict."

The Pope, who has repeatedly called for an end to hostilities and for a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis, revisits these concerns in his book. According to him, this conflict "has placed the conscience of millions of people in the West before the harsh reality of a humanitarian tragedy that has long existed."

"There is no case in which war can be considered justifiable. Military barbarism will never find a place," the Pope emphasized.

He urged "local, national, and global authorities" to take all possible measures to cease ongoing wars and to say "enough" to the production of weapons and international trade. "The existence of nuclear weapons jeopardizes the preservation of human life on earth," he noted.

Pope Francis asserted that achieving these goals "requires dialogue, negotiation, listening skills, diplomatic abilities, and creative talents, as well as visionary politics that can build a system of coexistence not based on the power of arms or deterrence." In this regard, he suggested "revisiting" existing international structures, including the UN, so that they align with the new reality.