杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni

In the wake of 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥檚 powerful appeal for a world that is free from atomic warfare, and his affirmation that not only the deployment, but also the possession of nuclear weapons is immoral, the Catholic Bishops of the United States issued a statement calling on their nation 鈥渢o exercise global leadership for mutual, verifiable nuclear disarmament鈥�.

The statement, signed by Bishop David Malloy, Chairman of USCCB鈥檚 Committee on International Justice and Peace, notes that the theme of 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� Apostolic Journey to Japan this past weekend was 鈥淧rotect All Life鈥�.

鈥淚n Nagasaki and Hiroshima鈥�, Malloy writes, 鈥渢he Holy Father gave a powerful witness to the grave threat poised to human life by nuclear weapons. Following in the footsteps of Saint John Paul II, and reiterating the teaching of his predecessors, 杏MAP导航 Francis called for a world without nuclear weapons鈥�.

Commitment to global nuclear disarmament

The Catholic bishops of the United States, the statement continues, remain firmly committed to global nuclear disarmament.

鈥淲e declared in 1993: 鈥楾he eventual elimination of nuclear weapons is more than a moral ideal; it should be a policy goal,鈥� they recall.

The statement notes that 鈥淭he United States and Russia have over 90% of the world鈥檚 nuclear weapons.鈥�

START treaty with Russia

鈥淭his fact alone,鈥� the statement concludes, 鈥渃alls for our nation to exercise global leadership for mutual, verifiable nuclear disarmament. The extension of New START Treaty with Russia would be a prudent next step.鈥�

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) was signed April 8, 2010 in Prague by Russia and the United States and entered into force on 5 February 2011. It replaced the 1991 START I treaty, which expired December 2009, and superseded the 2002 Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT).

New START continues the bipartisan process of verifiably reducing U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals begun by former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Both Russia and the United States announced that they met New START limitations by 5 February 2018.