2025年4月22日
In Memory of Pope Francis:
A Moral Beacon for Nuclear Disarmament
Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, Nagasaki University (RECNA)
April 22, 2025
The Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition at Nagasaki University (RECNA) mourns the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, a tireless advocate for peace and one of the world’s most powerful moral voices against nuclear weapons.
Pope Francis will be remembered as a global conscience in the struggle for nuclear disarmament, whose declaration resounded worldwide:
“The use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral, just as the possession of atomic weapons is immoral.” 1
These words, delivered during his historic visit to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in November 2019, marked a pivotal moment in the global movement to eliminate nuclear weapons. Standing at the hypocenter of the atomic bombing in Nagasaki, Pope Francis offered a message that continues to echo through disarmament efforts:
“Peace and international stability are incompatible with attempts to build upon the fear of mutual destruction or the threat of total annihilation.”2
The Holy Father warned against the false security offered by nuclear deterrence, which is rooted in fear and mistrust and obstructs genuine dialogue between peoples and nations. His call for a “global ethic of solidarity and cooperation” resonates with RECNA’s belief that peace is only possible through trust, dialogue, and mutual respect.
Moreover, Pope Francis condemned the vast sums of money spent on weapons of mass destruction, calling them “an affront crying out to heaven.”3 Under his leadership, the Holy See was among the first signatories and ratifying parties of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), lending profound moral authority and global visibility to the humanitarian imperative behind nuclear abolition.
His Holiness’ presence in Nagasaki brought hope to hibakusha and to all those dedicated to building a future free from the threat of nuclear war. His call to be “peacemakers” is a legacy that RECNA will strive to honor in its work.
May his memory strengthen our resolve for peace and inspire renewed global efforts to achieve the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
1 ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER, Peace Memorial (Hiroshima), 24 November 2019, https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/pont-messages/2019/documents/papa-francesco_20191124_messaggio-incontropace-hiroshima.html
2 ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS, Atomic Bomb Hypocenter Park (Nagasaki), 24 November 2019, https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2019/november/documents/papa-francesco_20191124_messaggio-arminucleari-nagasaki.html.
3 Ibid
Taylor & Francis, the publisher of Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament (J-PAND), carried an article about Michiru Nishida, a Professor at the School of Global Humanities and Social Sciences of Nagasaki University and at RECNA. In the article, Nishida discusses the complexities of Japan’s nuclear policy, building on his J-PAND research paper, titled “Logic (or Illogic?) of Japan’s Aversion to TPNW and Charting a Path Forward.”
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