Holy See Warns Against ‘Aggressive Nuclear Rhetoric’
Vatican, Sun 7 September 2025, The International Day Against Nuclear Tests observed on 5 September 2025. On this occasion, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations emphasized the need to support affected communities and to work towards a world free of nuclear weapons.
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia called for a renewed commitment to dialogue, disarmament treaties, and care for communities still experiencing the consequences of nuclear testing. He raised concerns about the resurgence of “aggressive nuclear rhetoric.”
Continuing Nuclear Tests
Archbishop Caccia, speaking at a High-Level Plenary Meeting in New York, noted that eighty years have passed since the first detonation of a nuclear weapon, an event that, he stated, introduced a destructive force and cast a shadow over humanity.
The Archbishop lamented the ongoing impact of over two thousand nuclear tests conducted since 1945, highlighting the disproportionate harm inflicted on indigenous peoples, women, children, and the unborn. "The health and dignity of many continue to be affected in silence, and often without redress," he said.
Never Place Trust in Armaments
Reflecting on the annual UN Day of Remembrance, Archbishop Caccia emphasized that it should serve as a moment of renewed responsibility. “It is particularly concerning that, in the face of this important responsibility, the global response appears to be moving in the opposite direction,” he observed, citing increasing military expenditures and the development of more destructive weapons at the expense of investment in human development and the promotion of the common good.
Quoting Pope Francis, Archbishop Caccia urged the international community to resist the temptation to place trust in armaments: “We must never become accustomed to war. The temptation to place our trust in powerful and sophisticated weapons must be firmly rejected.”
Appeal to Strengthen Global Norm Against Nuclear Testing
He described the pursuit of a world free of nuclear weapons as a vital necessity and a moral responsibility, reiterating the Holy See’s support for key multilateral frameworks, including the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Concluding his address, Archbishop Caccia called for concrete support for communities still affected by the long-term consequences of nuclear testing. He reiterated the Holy See’s belief that strengthening the global norm against nuclear explosive testing is an essential step toward genuine and lasting peace.