NUCLEAR WEAPONS--THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE TAR BABY OF ALL TIME

"The (nuclear) arms race is an utterly treacherous trap for humanity, and one which ensnares the poor to an intolerable degree.” 

- Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes (The Church in the Modern World,) no. 81

Fr. Richard McSorley S.J., a respected Jesuit at Georgetown University, with whom my daughter Maura worked for a while there, wrote an article in 1977 Sojourners magazine,  "It is a Sin to Build a Nuclear Weapon."  Time is running out on our charge to heed his admonition, and free ourselves from these nuclear shackles, these occasions of mortal sin. There is renewed hope.

e've just past the 75^th anniversary of the only, and devastating, uses of nuclear weapons in our world’s history thus far—Aug 6^th and 9^th in Japan.  Thanks be to God, and a good number of people’s common sense.  How much longer will political power hunger continue to subject us to the danger of mass self-destruction?  I hope you will spend some time with these references, and take action to support the initiatives that at minimum reinstate the treaties that now help hold back Armageddon.  and then further, to support the 2017 UN resolution [Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons] demands, ban all nuclear weapons, before resumed use ends life as we know it.  The Covid 19 pandemic is bad.  Nuclear war would be so much worse. 

A Pope Francis Holy Card

Pray and Act   --  Ora et Labora

What we can do to make a more peace filled future

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, ICAN, won the Noble Peace Prize in 2017.

https://www.icanw.org/  -- Join them..

A film to promote discussion - The Beginning of the End of Nuclear Weapons - {submitted by Marty         Habalewsky of our Blue Water Pax Christi group}

References

https://www.ploughshares.org/issues-analysis/article/real-lessons-trinity-and-hiroshima

A book review on this spiritual problem - https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/risk-cross-reckons-our-nuclear-danger

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/world/asia/hiroshima-japan-75th-anniversary.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/06/world/asia/hiroshima-japan-setsuko-thurlow.html

A video of Pope Francis' message that needs to be taken to heart, esp. here in the USA

Pope in Hiroshima: nuclear weapons are immoral  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pChlH2SH2gw&feature=emb_rel_end

Current global status of UN nations' support for the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons --two thirds. -- counting yet none of the world's nuclear weapons possessors.  

Don't let the world backslide on nuclear disarmament as our current administration intends - From the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops - Action Alert: Tell Your Members of Congress to Extend New START and Reduce the Nuclear Threat!

https://www.votervoice.net/USCCB/campaigns/75604/res

Illumination by Kathy Brahney

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Commemorate the 75 Years Since Nuclear Attacks: Tell Congress to Support Nuclear Nonproliferation.

Commemorate the 75 Years Since Nuclear Attacks: Tell Congress to Support Nuclear Nonproliferation.