Pope Francis has welcomed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which will enter into legal force on Friday 22 January. Speaking at his Wednesday General Audience the Pontiff called on “all states and people to work decisively towards promoting conditions necessary for a world without nuclear weapons”.
Pope Francis has been a long-term supporter of the Treaty, which was agreed by the United Nations in 2017 with the support of 122 states. It will enter into force following 50 states joining the Treaty, with another 36 currently completing their own domestic processes for ratification.
The Vatican become one of the first states to sign and ratify the Treaty, doing so on the first day possible in September 2017. Since then the Pope has frequently called for progress on disarmament, including during a visit to Hiroshima in 2019.
In addition to the support of the Catholic Church many other denominations have pledged support for the Treaty including the Church of England, Methodist, Baptist, Quakers, United Reformed Church and Community of Christ.
We are thankful for the continued leadership of Pope Francis on this issue and pray that nations will heed his call and work together to make the new Treaty a success.
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Read more Church statements on nuclear weapons
