Pope wants to officialize immorality of nuke arms possession

Pope Francis is planning to change official Catholic Church teaching to declare the use and possession of atomic weapons as immoral, to make clear that his rejection of the Cold War-era doctrine of deterrence is official church policy.

Francis had declared the possession of nuclear weapons immoral on Sunday in Hiroshima during an emotional encounter with survivors of the U.S. atomic bomb.

On Tuesday, during a press conference en route home from Japan, Francis indicated that his Hiroshima address should be considered part of his magisterium, or official church teaching.

He said this must go in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, referring to the published compendium of official church teaching.