Holy See: Outer space and AI must not be weaponized

Holy See: Outer space and AI must not be weaponized (AFP or licensors)

The Holy See reiterates the moral imperative of disarmament amid massive expansion of arms budgets, and warns against the militarization of outer space, which must remain the “province of all mankind.”

By Devin Watkins

Msgr. Daniel Pacho, Undersecretary for the Holy See’s Multilateral Sector of the Secretariat of State, has renewed the Church’s call for disarmament.

Addressing the UN-led 2026 Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on Wednesday, he said humanity is at “a critical juncture,” recalling His Holiness  Leo XIV’s warning in January that war is “back in vogue, and a zeal for war is spreading.”

Msgr. Pacho lamented that diplomacy based on force is replacing dialogue and consensus-seeking, saying this shift has undermined multilateral discussions on disarmament, including the Conference on Disarmament.

He upheld disarmament as a “moral imperative” that ensures weapons are never used again in aggression to harm others.

“Disarmament is not an end in itself,” he said. “It is a key tool for building trust and achieving just and lasting peace, and therefore significant for promoting integral human development.”

Msgr. Pacho reiterated the Holy See’s opposition to nuclear proliferation, expressing its concern for the “existential threat” they pose to humanity.

Nuclear deterence, he said, is based on the irrational belief that international relations should be based on the threat of force rather than on justice, law, and trust.

When the “dangerous path of deterence” replaces all diplomatic efforts, he said, “humanity and our planet as a whole risk being pushed towards the edge of devastation and destruction.”

In this context, Msgr. Pacho repeated the Holy See’s invitation for nuclear-armed nations to engage in good-faith negotiations to reduce and eventually eliminate their arsenals.

The Holy See’s representative went on to consider that outer space is quickly becoming a forum for great power conflict…

This report was originally publsihed on the Website of Vatican News. Please click here to read full text.