Pope Leo marks Hiroshima anniversary with plea for lasting peace

BRUSSELS

Pope Leo XIV marked the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Tuesday by urging the international community to renew its commitment to global peace, according to the Vatican News.

The pope described nuclear weapons as an affront to everything God created. "Nuclear arms offend our shared humanity and betray the dignity of creation, whose harmony we are called to safeguard," he said in a statement.

The message came as Japan commemorated the 1945 US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which claimed between 150,000 and 246,000 lives by the end of that year.

"The two cities remain living reminders of the profound horrors wrought by nuclear weapons," said Leo.

The pope also criticized the doctrine of deterrence, quoting Pope Francis' warning against the "illusion of security founded on mutually assured destruction." Instead, he called for the construction of a "global ethic rooted in justice, fraternity and the common good."

Leo expressed hope that the anniversary would serve as "a call to the international community to renew its commitment to pursuing lasting peace for our whole human family – a peace that is unarmed and disarming."