The Vatican, Italy
November 10-11, 2017
The Holy See’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development convened a major conference, “Perspectives for a world free from nuclear weapons and for integral disarmament,” Nov. 10-11, 2017, at the Vatican. The gathering was highlighted by a groundbreaking address by Pope Francis, in which he declared that “the threat of their [nuclear weapons] use, as well as their very possession, is to be firmly condemned.”
The meeting included eleven Nobel Laureates, senior diplomats, and scholars. The Holy See invited several entities to cooperate with it on this conference, including the CPN, the University of Notre Dame and Georgetown University.
News coverage:
In Depth News, Vatican Conference on “Prospects for a World free from Nuclear Weapons and for Integral Disarmament”
Gerard O'Connell, America, "Nuclear disarmament now a ‘moral imperative’ as Pope Francis rejects deterrence"
Philip Pullella, Reuters, "Pope, in change from predecessors, condemns nuclear arsenals for deterrence"
Commentary:
Gerard F. Powers, Arms Control Today, "Papal Condemnation of Nuclear Deterrence and What Is Next"
Michael Desch and Gerard F. Powers, Commonweal, "No More Nukes? An Exhcange"
Student essays on the symposium: