Catholic bishops warn against failure of nuclear treaty, urge renewed push for disarmament

Catholic bishops from the United States and Japan cautioned that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is at risk of collapse and urged world leaders to renew commitments to disarmament.

“May you all help lead this suffering world to the promised land of a world free of nuclear weapons,” wrote five bishops whose dioceses were shaped by nuclear weapons, either as the birthplace of the bomb, a deployment hub, or the site of atomic devastation. The bishops issued the statement April 27 on the convening of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty’s 11th review conference.

“For 56 years the 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has acted as the cornerstone of nuclear weapons nonproliferation,” said Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle; Archbishop Peter Michiaki Nakamura of Nagasaki, Japan; Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Mitsuaki Takami of Nagasaki, Japan; Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Bishop Alexis Mitsuru Shirahama of Hiroshima, Japan.

The bishops represent the Partnership for a World Without Nuclear Weapons, an international Catholic coalition formed in 2023 by the bishops of Seattle, Santa Fe, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki to promote nuclear disarmament and protect life from all nuclear harm. It was established on the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. 

The bishops described the NPT as “now badly frayed, perhaps even in danger of collapsing,” citing “the never-ending refusal of the nuclear weapons states to enter into serious negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament.” They further noted that the past two NPT review conferences “have utterly failed to outline any concrete steps toward nuclear disarmament.”

“Clearly the nuclear threats are escalating,” they said. “The brutal practice of might makes right is ascendant, arms control treaties are gone, and we are sliding backwards with massive modernization programs to keep nuclear weapons forever.”

We fervently hope and pray for a favorable outcome that genuinely leads to nuclear disarmament. However, if past is prologue, that outcome is unlikely.”

American and Japanese bishops

Partnership for a World Without Nuclear Weapons

The bishops said nuclear states that have failed to disarm on the basis of deterrence are guilty of “deflect[ing] the blame from their own possession of immoral, genocidal weapons.”

“One must ask, why is it that Russia and the United States have always rejected the minimal deterrence of just a few hundred nuclear warheads in order to keep thousands of warheads for nuclear war-fighting?” the bishops said. “Why is it that all nine nuclear weapons powers are now spending enormous sums on so-called ‘modernization’ programs to keep nuclear weapons forever?”

The NPT calls for a review of the treaty’s operation every five years, a provision in place since 2000. The ongoing April 27 to May 22 conference was scheduled for 2026 following COVID-19-related delays to the review cycle, according to the conference’s website.

“We wish all of you at this Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference the very best of luck,” the bishops said. “We fervently hope and pray for a favorable outcome that genuinely leads to nuclear disarmament. However, if past is prologue, that outcome is unlikely.”