“The logic of fear and mistrust that is epitomized by nuclear
deterrence must be replaced with a new global ethic,” a Vatican
representative said in an address to the International Atomic Energy
Agency.
Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, the undersecretary for Relations with
States, said that the “Holy See believes it to be essential that the
international community embrace an ethic of responsibility, in order to
foster a climate of trust, and to strengthen cooperative security
through multilateral dialogue.”
He called for efforts to address “the
wider security, political, economic and cultural dynamics that lead
state and non-state actors to seek security, legitimacy, and power in
nuclear weapons.”
Msgr. Camillieri cited the address by Pope Francis to the UN as the
latest expression of the Vatican’s commitment to the eventual
elimination of all nuclear weapons. He said that nuclear security also
requires support for non-proliferation efforts, and for the controlled
development of peaceful uses of nuclear power.
The Vatican representative suggested particular consideration for two
problems involving nuclear security: the protection of materials that
could be used for nuclear weapons, and the prevention of cyber-attacks
on nuclear facilities.