Holy See ‘deeply disturbed’ by rise in global military spending, Vatican diplomat says
October 30, 2024
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CWN Editor's Note: Echoing comments he had made in mid-October, a leading Vatican diplomat told a UN committee that “the Holy See is deeply disturbed by the significant increase in global military spending, which hit a record $2.24 trillion in 2022.”
“The illicit proliferation and misuse of conventional weapons has become one of the most pressing security concerns at the national, regional and global levels,” warned Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations. “Tens of thousands of people die or are injured every year as a result of conflicts fought primarily with these weapons of mass destruction in slow motion, with much of the violence taking place in crime-ridden areas outside of conflict, often at the hands of armed groups and terrorists.”
The diplomat also renewed his call for a ban on lethal autonomous weapons systems, also known as killer robots.
“In the meantime, the Holy See urges all States to refrain from developing such weapons, as they can never be morally responsible subjects and violate public conscience,” he said.
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