Pope Francis warns urgently against military deterrence

Pope Francis has once again spoken out against the concept of military deterrence to secure peace. In a speech in the Vatican published on Saturday, he said: "War is a deception. War is always a defeat. And the idea of international security based on deterrence is another fraud." To ensure lasting peace, people must recognise each other as one human family and find a new model for living together. The Pope was speaking to members of a two-day international conference of the"Fratelli tutti" foundation in Rome.

The foundation was established in 2021 to spread the idea of global fraternity propagated by the Pope across all political and religious boundaries. Francis first formulated this idea as a papal teaching in his encyclical "Fratelli tutti" in 2020. The meeting of global fraternity organised by the Foundation is to end on Saturday evening with an event in front of St Peter's Basilica. Among the participants were 30 Nobel Prize winners from different countries and disciplines.

Addressing the participants, the Pope said: "On a planet in flames, you have gathered to reaffirm your 'no' to war and your 'yes' to peace." According to the Vatican, the participating Nobel Prize winners included Dmitry Muratov, Jody Williams, Tawakkol Karman, Maria Ressa, Leymah Gbowee, Rigoberta Menchu and Muhammad Yunus. The singers Roberto Vecchioni and Nek and the American country star Garth Brooks, among others, were to take part in a closing concert in front of the gates of St Peter's Basilica on Saturday evening. (KNA)