17:15 | Vatican City, Jan. 15.
His Holiness Pope Francis discussed his fears of nuclear war on his way to Santiago (Chile) on Monday.
He told journalists onboard about the photo of a Japanese boy waiting at a crematorium in Nagasaki to bury his baby brother.
The Supreme Pontiff had given the order to print and distribute copies of such photo, which on the reverse side carries the inscription "the fruit of war" alongside his signature.
The picture was taken by U.S. Marine photographer Joe O'Donnell a few days after the August 1945 Nagasaki nuclear bombing by the United States.
The fruits of war
"The Holy Father said he was very moved by the image and wanted to share it, because of his fears that the world was moving once again towards the use of nuclear weapons," the
Vatican News website reported.
"His comments came two days after residents of Hawaii received text messages warning of an imminent ballistic missile attack," it added.
As is known, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency alert was revoked 38 minutes after it was issued.
Nuclear weapons condemned
In November last year, the Pope addressed the nuclear crisis at a Vatican conference on disarmament.
He said the possession of nuclear weapons will be firmly condemned as they exist in the service of a mentality of fear that affects not only parties in conflict but the entire human race.
The Pope explained international ties cannot be held captive to military force, mutual intimidation, and the parading of stockpiles of arms.
"Weapons of mass destruction —particularly nuclear weapons— create nothing but a false sense of security. They cannot constitute the basis for peaceful coexistence between members of the human family," the Holy Father concluded.
(END) NDP/RMB/MVB
Published: 1/15/2018