Former Cabinet members host Catholic colloquium on nuclear disarmament

April 30, 2014

Former Secretary of State George Shultz and former Secretary of Defense William Perry hosted a recent Colloquium on Revitalizing Catholic Engagement on Nuclear Disarmament at Stanford University.

“This off-the-record event brought together 40 bishops, policy specialists, Catholic scholars, and young professionals and students to explore policy and moral challenges involved in moving toward a world without nuclear weapons,” according to a press release from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). “The colloquium was the kick-off of a larger project intended to empower a new generation of Catholic bishops, scholars, professionals and students to address the ethical and policy challenges of reducing and eliminating nuclear weapons.”

Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines, the chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace, and Father John Jenkins, the president of the University of Notre Dame, were co-conveners of the colloquium.

“The bishops have made the moral case for ultimate nuclear disarmament; Shultz, Perry, [Henry] Kissinger and [Sam] Nunn have made the case for disarmament as a policy goal, a goal embraced by the US and Russian governments,” said Bishop Pates. “My hope is that this colloquium will be the beginning of a process to invigorate and refine the voice of the US Catholic community in the debate on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament.”

 

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Further information:

• Bishops, Policy Specialists, Other Catholic Leaders Convene Renewed Effort on Nuclear Disarmament at Stanford University (USCCB)
• Bishops, Notre Dame and other universities encouraged by Shultz, Perry and Nunn commit to revitalizing Catholic engagement on nuclear disarmament (University of Notre Dame)