‘UNSPEAKABLE HORROR’

Pope Francis Urges Abolition of Nuclear Weapons on Historic Visit to Japan

He warned that a “fear of mutual destruction or the threat of total annihilation” is incompatible with peace.

Pope Francis called for a total abolition of nuclear weapons on an historic visit to Japan on Sunday, calling the possession of such weapons “immoral.” Speaking to followers in Nagasaki, targeted by atomic bombs in World War II, the pontiff decried the “unspeakable horror” that the region had seen. At least 74,000 people are known to have died in Nagasaki after the U.S. dropped atomic weapons on the region in 1945. “This place makes us deeply aware of the pain and horror that we human beings are capable of inflicting upon one another,” he said. Two survivors of the bombing presented Francis with a wreath on Sunday. After the service, the pope attended a meeting at the Peace Memorial in Hiroshima, where at least 140,000 people were killed in World War II bombings. Francis called on global leaders to stop all nuclear weapons programs, warning that the “fear of mutual destruction or the threat of total annihilation” is not compatible with world peace.