Pope Francis called for an end to the global production and use of anti-personnel explosives in a message delivered at an international summit on landmine abolition, a week after US President Joe Biden approved the use of US landmines by part of Ukraine in the war that this country is fighting with Russia.
“Conflicts are a failure of humanity to live as one human family,” express the Holy Father in his letter, which was read by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, at the Fifth Review Conference of the Anti-Personnel Mine Conventionheld in Siem Reap (Cambodia).
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“These insidious devices continue to cause terrible suffering to civilians, especially children,” he added.
The International Mine Ban Treaty, also known as Ottawa Treatyis an international agreement to end the production and use of antipersonnel mines that entered into force in March 1999. One hundred and sixty-four state parties have formally agreed to comply with the agreement, including Ukraine.
The pope called “on all states that have not yet done so to adhere to the convention and, in the meantime, to immediately cease the production and use of landmines,” Cardinal Parolin told the delegation.
The United States, Russia and China are among the 33 states that have not yet agreed to abide by the agreement.
Francis also appealed to countries that have already signed the agreement, urging them to renew their commitment to ending the use of explosives, stressing that any delay in doing so “will inevitably increase the human cost.”
The Holy Father’s urgent call to the convention comes a week after President Biden approved the supply of antipersonnel mines to Ukraine, in order to strengthen its defense against Russian advances in the east.
Biden’s decision to authorize the controversial explosives comes shortly after his decision to give Ukraine permission to fire long-range US missiles at Russia. The Kremlin responded lowering the threshold in which it would use its nuclear arsenal.
This week, the Pope also recognized the work of the landmine conference and all those dedicated to ending the use of landmines, as well as those helping the families of victims.
The Holy Father prayed that the objective of the conference, inspired by the treaty, “becomes an important step towards a mine-free world and guarantees truly comprehensive and restorative assistance to victims.”
Francis himself delivered a message similar in favor of peace in an event on the same day, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Argentina and Chile.
“This is a happy commemoration of those intense negotiations that, with pontifical mediation, avoided the armed conflict that was about to confront two brother peoples and were concluded with a dignified, reasonable and fair solution,” the Holy Father said in his speech.
“On this point, it is necessary to refer to the numerous armed conflicts in progress, which have not yet been extinguished despite constituting painful wounds for the countries at war and for the entire human family,” said Francis, also rebuking the countries “where there is a lot of talk about peace (but where) the investments that give the most returns are arms factories.”
“I simply mention two failures of humanity today: Ukraine and Palestine, where people are suffering, where the arrogance of the invader prevails over dialogue,” the Holy Father told the delegation. Francis has openly expressed his opposition to the ongoing conflicts in both regions since their respective beginnings.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA.
Low tide Elhabbal
Madalaine Elhabbal is a CNA journalist based in EWTN’s Washington DC bureau. She has published articles on CatholicVote and has also worked as a foreign language assistant in France. She is a graduate of Benedictine College.