VATICAN CITY, OCT. 7, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Nuclear weapons will always be the expression of a "culture of war and death" and contrary to peace, said the director for the Vatican press office.
Echoing the Holy See’s call against nuclear experiments to the international community, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, again took up the Catholic Church’s position in the last edition of the weekly Vatican Television show "Octava Dies."
The Vatican spokesman explained: "For more than 10 years, 177 countries have initialed adherence to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but only 140 have ratified it.
"North Korea and Iran, but also China, India and the United States, are missing from this list, and so the treaty is not in effect."
Father Lombardi continued: "In Vienna recently, the Holy See’s representative underscored the importance and urgency [of the treaty’s] ratification.
"Nuclear tests serve to develop ever more sophisticated and dangerous weapons, weapons which -- contrary to what some claim -- will never be 'clean' or 'intelligent.'
"They will always be the expression of a ‘culture of war and death’ contrary to peace."
The Jesuit priest added: "Justifying them with the argument that they are for people’s security and protection is an illusion: In reality they lead to nuclear proliferation and therefore to a growing risk for those same people who are supposed to be defended by them."
"The prevention of nuclear terrorism must go along with nuclear disarmament and with the realization of the non-proliferation treaty," Father Lombardi said. "It is impossible to think that increasing the weapons decreases the danger of their use by terrorists.
"This is about moral obligations of the international community to the whole family of nations and to future generations. From its position of moral authority and of freedom from interest in power, the Holy See will never tire of recalling this for the good of humanity.
"This is the very reason for [the Holy See’s] presence in the great centers of international organizations."
ZE07100707 - 2007-10-07