Pope Francis: ‘Disarmament is a moral obligation’

By Linda Bordoni

At a time when military and arms spending is declining due to the many conflicts gripping the world, Pope Francis on Sunday urged all members of “the great family of nations” to show courage and work for disarmament .

He recalled that March 5 was celebrated as the second International Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness Day.

“How many resources are wasted on military spending which, due to the current situation, unfortunately continues to increase! “” exclaimed the pope during his Angelus speech, and he expressed his hope for a change in mentality and investments.

Moral obligation

“I very much hope that the international community understands that disarmament is above all a duty: disarmament is a moral obligation. »

Highlighting the importance of this issue, the Holy Father emphasized that we must “engrave this in our minds!” »

“This,” he added, “requires courage on the part of all members of the great family of nations: to move from the balance of fear to a balance of trust.”