Pope Francis in Japan: Use of atomic weapons is 'immoral'

Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Pope Francis described the use of atomic energy for weapons of war as immoral while visiting Japan on Sunday.

The Pope traveled to Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the first day of a three-day trip in Japan as he delivered a speech calling for world powers to eliminate their nuclear arsenals before survivors of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings on the country.

"The use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral," he said. "As is the possession of atomic weapons."

Speaking in Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park, Pope Francis questioned how world leaders can propose peace while reserving nuclear warfare as a means to settle conflicts.

"May the abyss of pain endured here remind us of boundaries that must never be crossed. A true peace can only be an unarmed peace," he said.

Pope Francis said he visited Japan as a "pilgrim of peace" to recall the victims of nuclear warfare and stand with them in prayer.

"With deep conviction I wish once more to declare that the use of atomic energy for purposes of war is today, more than ever, a crime not only against the dignity of human beings but against any possible future for our common home," he said.

The Pope arrived in Japan on Saturday for the trip including a meeting with victims of the 2011 major earthquake and subsequent tsunami that sparked a meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.