By William Smith III and Madeline Labriola
Pax Christi Rhode Island
On August 6 we will commemorate the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, then 3 days later the bombing of Nagasaki.
As American Catholics and people of faith, we should be doubly concerned by this past and sometimes ignored piece of our history. The detonations of our weapons caused the immediate death of tens of thousands of Japanese civilians. As the years pass, it becomes easier for the United States of America to forget the realities of those two cataclysmic detonations.
But as Christians and modern citizens of the USA, our concern today must also focus on the continued existence of these terrible weapons. Today nine nations—the U.S., Russia, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, U.K., Israel, and France—possess nuclear arms and they are tens and hundreds of times more powerful than the Hiroshima weapon. We threaten others, and they threaten us, so that no one is safe in today’s world. Even those who live far from the competing nations live under threat of a ‘nuclear winter’ which would obscure sunlight for years following a nuclear war. Not only human beings. but crops, trees, wildlife, butterflies, cattle and birds would also be devastated.
What must be our faith-based response to this modern situation? The teaching of the Catholic Church is clear. Nuclear arms are evil and must be abhorred and dismantled. What would Jesus tell us? Perhpas that the correct Catholic response is to find ways to reduce the risks to others (and to us) by using diplomacy and international negotiations to disarm these weapons worldwide.
The Catholic message is clear. The Vatican was the first nation to ratify the 2021 Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Pope Francis, and now Pope Leo, have spoken clearly about the moral imperative to dismantle these weapons. Let us heed their call!
Here in Rhode Island, both houses of the General Assembly have passed resolutions calling for adherence to the TPNW. Our Secretary of State has spoken out in its favor. How would it work? A US President could support and vigorously promote the TPNW treaty, then use diplomacy and international news media to urge other nations to reciprocate. Imagine the pressure on a nation like Russia, or Israel, if they were the only country insisting on maintaining their arsenal while others have pledged willingness to negotiate.
Our United States of America, a leader in so many ways in the culture and development of human affairs, should be the leader in nuclear disarmament. What better way to dissuade a country like Iran from gaining nuclear arms than by telling the world that we are now ready to take our own bombs apart? Instead of leading a new nuclear arms race, in competition with Russia and China to build new, faster, and more deadly weapons (as we are now doing), the USA can be a leader in the 21st century advancement to restrict, reduce, and finally abolish them.
When the teaching is clear, Catholics and all people of faith are not ones to sit back in idleness. We must examine our souls and know whether it is the correct interpretation of Jesus’ will to call on our government, our Senators and Representatives, our Governors and Town Councilors, to heed the call of the TPNW and eradicate these weapons from God’s beautiful earth.
Pax Christi Rhode Island, a chapter of PCUSA international Catholic peace movement has been studying and actively working toward nuclear disarmament for many years. Pax Christi RI will host the 2026 Peace and Remembrance Day on Sunday, Aug. 9, in Jamestown at East Ferry Memorial Square.
