Archbishop Caccia reflected on the 80th anniversary of the first nuclear weapon detonation, an event that unleashed “an unprecedented destructive force” and cast “a long shadow over humanity.”
Newsroom (05/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) On the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, issued a stark warning against the resurgence of “aggressive nuclear rhetoric” and urged global leaders to recommit to dialogue, disarmament, and support for communities devastated by nuclear testing.
Speaking at a High-Level Plenary Meeting in New York on Thursday, Archbishop Caccia reflected on the 80th anniversary of the first nuclear weapon detonation, an event that unleashed “an unprecedented destructive force” and cast “a long shadow over humanity.” He decried the enduring consequences of over 2,000 nuclear tests conducted since 1945, which have disproportionately harmed indigenous peoples, women, children, and the unborn.
“The health and dignity of many continue to be affected in silence, and all too often without redress,” the Archbishop said, emphasizing the moral imperative to address the lingering impacts of nuclear testing.
Caccia expressed alarm at rising global military expenditures and the development of increasingly destructive weapons, which he said come at the expense of human development and the common good. Quoting Pope Francis, he called for rejecting the temptation to place trust in armaments: “We must never become accustomed to war. Indeed, the temptation to place our trust in powerful and sophisticated weapons must be firmly rejected.”
The Holy See reiterated its support for multilateral frameworks like the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, describing the pursuit of a nuclear-free world as both a strategic necessity and a “profound moral responsibility.”
In his closing remarks, Archbishop Caccia urged concrete support for affected communities and stressed that strengthening the global norm against nuclear explosive testing is “an essential step toward genuine and lasting peace.”
– Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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