In his 1972 World Day of Peace Message, in which Pope Paul VI so famously said, "if you want peace, work for justice," he also wrote, "We believe that the idea of Peace still is, and still must be, dominant in human affairs, and that it becomes all the more urgent whenever and wherever it is contradicted by opposite ideas or deeds. It is a necessary idea, an imperative idea, an inspiring idea. It polarizes human aspirations, endeavours and hopes. Its nature is that of an aim, and as such it is at the base and at the goal of our activities, be they individual or collective." Reflections on previous World Day of Peace Messages by the U.S. bishops can be found on our World Day of Peace page.

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Learn about USCCB’s policy work on the following issue areas. 

Arms Trade Nuclear Weapons
Conscience, War and Peace September 11
Autonomous Weapons: Landmines and Drones  

Policy and Advocacy Regarding the Arms Trade

Background Information

Sowing Weapons of War: A Pastoral Reflection of the Arms Trade and Landmines
National Conference of Catholic Bishops, June 16, 1995

Brief Overview of Catholic Just War Tradition
A Statement by the United States Catholic Conference, November 1993

2005-Present

Shared Responsibility for the Whole Human Family: A Joint Declaration Towards a Renewed Transatlantic Partnership
Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the EU (COMECE) and United Sates Conference of Catholic Bishops, June 8, 2021

Letter to U.S. Senate on Crisis in Yemen and U.S. Arms Sales to Saudia Arabia
Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, July 19, 2018

Letter Commending Secretary of State Kerry on Arms Trade Treaty and Iran Talks
Bishop Richard E. Pates, October 4, 2013

Letter from 33 National Organizations on Arms Trade Treaty
Bishop Richard E. Pates, August 19, 2013

Letter to Secretary of State Kerry on Arms Trade Treaty
Bishop Richard E. Pates, April 11, 2013

Letter to President Bush before G-8 Summit
Bishop William S. Skylstad, June 28, 2005

Policy and Advocacy Regarding Autonomous Weapons: Landmines, Drones, Cluster Munitions

Background Information

Pope's Prayer Intention – Artificial Intelligence
Pope Francis, November 5, 2020

Fratelli Tutti
Pope Francis, October 3, 2020

Article – Contributions from the Catholic Church to Ethical Reflections in the Digital Era
Members of the Pontifical Academy for Life & Working Group on Roboethics of the Pontifical Academy for Life, May 11, 2020

Rome Call for AI Ethics
Pontifical Academy for Life, February 28, 2020

Conclusive Remarks at the Seminar on the Common Good in the Digital Age
Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, September 26-28, 2019

Ethical Reflections on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems and Augmented Soldiers – with a selection of documents from the Holy See’s engagement on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Caritas in Veritate Foundation, November 2017

Backgrounder on Armed Drones
January 2014

Backgrounder on Arms Control
February 2008

Backgrounder on Nuclear Arms and Landmines
February 2007

Backgrounder on Nuclear Arms and Landmines
February 2006

Backgrounder on Nuclear Arms and Landmines
April 2006

Sowing Weapons of War: A Pastoral Reflection on the Arms Trade and Landmines
National Conference of Catholic Bishops, June 16, 1995

Landmines Video List

2019-2010

Statement at the 2019 Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons
Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, March 26, 2019

Statement at the 2018 Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, August 27, 2018

Statement at the 2018 Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, April 9, 2018

Message of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum on the Occasion of the Annual Gathering in Davos-Klosters 
Pope Francis, January 23-26, 2018

Statement at the 2017 Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, November 13, 2017

Statement at the Informal Expert Meeting on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems
Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, April 11, 2016

Letter to National Security Advisor Rice on Framework for Policy on the Use of Armed Drones
Bishop Oscar Cantú, May 11, 2015

Letter to National Security Advisor Rice Regarding Mine Ban Treaty
Bishop Richard E. Pates, February 12, 2014

Statement at the Annual Meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects
Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, Permanent Representative of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organization in Geneva, November 14, 2013

Letters to National Security Advisor Donilon and to Congress on the Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Targeted Killings
Bishop Richard E. Pates, May 17, 2013

Letter to President Obama Reiterating Call for U.S. to Join Mine Ban Treaty
National Organizations, April 4, 2012

Letter to National Security Advisor Donilon Supporting the Mine Ban Treaty
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, October 28, 2010

Action Alert: Urge President Obama and Senate to Join the Mine Ban Treaty!
June 11, 2010

Letters to Secretary of State Clinton and Secretary of Defense Gates Supporting Mine Ban Treaty
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, May 18, 2010

Letter to President Obama Urging the U.S. to Join the Mine Ban Treaty
National Organizations, March 22, 2010

Policy and Advocacy Regarding Nuclear Weapons

2014-2000

Letter to Secretary of Energy Moniz Expressing Concern Over the Expanding of U.S. Budget for Nuclear Weapons
Bishop Richard E. Pates, October 30, 2014

Letter to Congress on Negotiations with Iran Over Its Nuclear Program
Bishop Richard E. Pates, January 6, 2014

Letter to Secretary of State Kerry on Interim Agreement With Iran on Nuclear Program
Bishop Richard E. Pates, November 27, 2013

Letter to President Obama on Nuclear Disarmament and on Israeli-Palestinian Peace
Timothy Cardinal Dolan and Bishop Richard E. Pates, June 25, 2013

Letter to National Security Advisor Donilon on Nonproliferation and Nuclear Weapons
Bishop Richard E. Pates, March 2, 2012

Letter to Secretary of State Clinton Regarding Iran's Compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Most Reverend Richard E. Pates, March 2, 2012

Chairman Commends U.S. Senate Ratification of New START Treaty
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, December 22, 2010

Catholic Bishops, Evangelicals Call for Ratification of New START Treaty
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, December 7, 2010

Letter to U.S. Senate Urging Ratification of the New START Treaty
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, November 29, 2010

Letter to U.S. Senate Regarding Support for the New START Treaty
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, September 17, 2010

Moral Reflections on U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, April 26, 2010

Letter to U.S. Senate Urging Ratification of New START Treaty
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, April 15, 2010

Letter to President Obama Supporting New START Treaty | en Español
Francis Cardinal George, OMI, President, April 8, 2010

Resources on New START Treaty and Catholic Social Teaching on Nuclear Weapons
April 2010

Remarks on Nuclear Disarmament at Global Zero Summit
Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, February 3, 2010

Letter to U.S. House of Representatives Supporting Global Security Priorities Resolution and Savings from Reducing Nuclear Arsenal
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, November 2, 2009

Letter to U.S. Senate on U.S. Nuclear Policy
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, September 28, 2009

Open Letter to President Obama on Nuclear Weapons
September 18, 2009

Nuclear Weapons and Moral Questions: The Path to Zero
Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, July 29, 2009

Letter to Secretary of State Clinton on U.S. Policy Towards Nuclear Nonproliferation
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, April 8, 2009

Letter to U.S. House of Representatives on Reintroduced Global Security Priorities Act and Nuclear Nonproliferation
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, March 30, 2009

Letter to U.S. House of Representatives on Global Security Priorities Act and Nuclear Arms Reduction
Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, July 11, 2008

Letter to U.S. House of Representatives in Support of the Global Security Priorities Act and Nuclear Nonproliferation Efforts
Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, February 5, 2008

Letter to U.S. Senate on Funding for Reliable Replacement Warhead Program
Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, December 5, 2007

Letter to Secretary of State Rice Regarding Iran's Compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards Agreement
Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, November 1, 2007

Statement from Religious Leaders on Denuclearization Agreement with North Korea
Ecumenical Church Leaders, July 17, 2007

Letter to Congress Urging End to Funding for Reliable Warhead Replacement Program
Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, May 9, 2007

Letters to Senators Brownback, DeWine, and Specter Urging Opposition to Funding for Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator in Defense Authorization Bill
Bishop John H. Ricard, September 1, 2005

Letter to Bishop Nagoya on 60th Anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Bishop William S. Skylstad, August 2, 2005

Letter to U.S. Senate on Nuclear Weapons Research Funding
Bishop John H. Ricard, July 18, 2005

Letter to Congress on Research on the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator
Bishop John H. Ricard, May 10, 2005

Statement on Nuclear Weapons
Bishop Wilton D. Gregory, August 6, 2004

Theological and Moral Perspectives on Today's Challenge of Peace
Most Rev. Diarmuid Martin, November 10, 2003

Letter to U.S. Senate on Funding for Research on Nuclear Weapons in Appropriations Bill
Bishop John H. Ricard, September 15, 2003

Intervention by the Holy See at the Third Conference on Facilitating the Entry Into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
Msgr. Pietro Parolin, Wien, 3-5 September 2003

Blessed Are the Peacemakers: Reflections on Two Anniversaries
Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory, August 4, 2003

Testimony on the Moscow Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Fr. Drew Christiansen, July 23, 2002

Statement on New Nuclear Treaty and U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory, May 24, 2002

Joint Nuclear Reduction/Disarmament Press Release & Statement
Msgr. Dennis M. Schnurr, June 2000

1999 and earlier

Statement Endorsing Arms Treaty and Ban on Nuclear Weapons Tests
Bishop John Glynn, October 7, 1999

Statement on U.S. Senate Rejection of Nuclear Test Ban
Bishop Joseph Fiorenza, October 14, 1999

A Time to Remember War and Recommit to Peace
Most Reverend Daniel P. Reilly, August 2, 1995

Building Cooperative Security Special Problems
Excerpts from The Harvest of Justice is Sown in Peace
National Conference of Catholic Bishops, November 17, 1993

USCCB Statement: The Harvest of Justice is Sown in Peace
United States Catholic Conference, November 17, 1993

Statement on the START II Treaty and the Reduction in the Number of Long-Range Nuclear Weapons
Archbishop John R. Roach, January 5, 1992

Statement on the START Treaty
Archbishop John R. Roach, July 18, 1991

Missile Defense: Excerpts from A Report on The Challenge of Peace and Policy Developments 1983-1988
Ad Hoc Committee on the Moral Evaluation of Deterrence
National Conference of Catholic Bishops, June 1988

The Strategic Defense Initiative: Moral Question, Public Choices
National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1988

The Challenge of Peace, God's Promise and Our Response
National Conference of Catholic Bishops, May 3, 1983