Archbishop Wester on the war in Ukraine: Nuclear weapons must be eliminated, not reinforced

by Archbishop John C. Wester
Archdiocese of Santa Fe, NM

We watch in horror as a brutal land war erupts, threatening all of Europe, which seems
inconceivable after the end of the Cold War some thirty years ago. We pray for the safety
and well-being of both Ukrainians and Russians and hope that God’s light and our own
sanctified work towards justice and redemption can lead us to a lasting peace. In particular,
we pray for the multitude of refugees and children who are having their lives destroyed by
needless and unjustified violence. No matter what language they speak or which ruler they
pledge allegiance to, may the Lord protect all of our brothers and sisters through the grace
of God! This has been our intention during the novena for Ukraine that we are currently
praying in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.

Two months ago I released my pastoral letter Living in the Light Of Christ’s Peace: A
Conversation Toward Nuclear Disarmament.

Considering that letter and given the renewed fear of nuclear war that the Ukraine invasion
has prompted, I feel compelled to address the important issue of nuclear disarmament.
Some may now argue that I was naïve and that the Russian invasion proves that Ukraine
should never have given up the Soviet nuclear weapons deployed on its soil. Some may
further argue that the Russian invasion illustrates the fundamental necessity and legitimacy
of nuclear weapons to begin with. I vigorously disagree, countering that today’s wars only
further underscore the moral and legal imperative to eliminate nuclear weapons for all time
in a fully multilateral, deliberate, and verifiable manner…

Read the entire statement at this link.