Archbishop Chullikatt's Address on the Nuclear Question

Folks,

The following excerpt on nuclear energy for electricity in italics below is copied from Archbishop Chullikatt's Address on the Nuclear Question at the Zenit News Agency. The bottom line is this: when man worships the work of his hands, then he commits idolatry and God's response will be the same as it was at the Tower of Babel. While I certainly support nuclear energy as the best means of generating electricity, the Archbishop is correct when he states that the nuclear renaissance could (and will) be reduced to an illusion without a cultural and moral renaissance. That means no abortion, no homosexual marriage, no contraception, no murder, no thievery, no lying, and no idolatry. Until we repent, no amount of nuclear energy can save us, and if we fail to repent, then our wickedness will inevitably result in more nuclear mishaps. Why? Because an immoral and idolatrous people are inherently incapable of putting safety and security first, that's why.

The recent experience in Fukishima, Japan, has refocused attention on the inherent dangers and indiscriminate nature of radiation. As a founding Member State of the IAEA, the Holy See actively participated last week in the IAEA Ministerial Conference on nuclear security which took place in Vienna, Austria. The concerns and observations made there by the Holy See bear repeating.

Is it legitimate to construct or to maintain operational nuclear reactors on territories that are exposed to serious seismic risks? Does nuclear fission technology, or the construction of new atomic power plants, or the continued operation of existing ones exclude human error in its phases of design, normal and emergency operation?

Besides the above questions, there are others concerning political will, technical capacity and necessary finances in order to proceed to the dismantling of old nuclear reactors and the handling of radioactive material or waste. With regard to standards of safety and security, the Holy See asks: Are States willing to adopt new safety and security standards? If so, who will monitor them? However, one fact remains: without transparency, safety and security cannot be pursued with absolute diligence.

Understanding that enhanced safety standards are only part of the solution, the Holy See also observed that threats to security come from attitudes and actions hostile to human nature. It is, therefore, on the human level that one must act – on the cultural and ethical level.... What is absolutely necessary are programs of formation for the diffusion of a "culture of safety and security" both in the nuclear sector and in the public conscience in general.... Security depends upon the State, but also on the sense of responsibility of each person....

As a result of the nuclear crisis in Fukishima, one point emerges with ever greater clarity. A shared and co-responsible management of nuclear research and safety and security, of energy and water supplies and of the environmental protection of the planet call for one or more international authorities with true and effective powers.

The nuclear sector can represent a great opportunity for the future. This explains the "nuclear renaissance" at the world level. This renaissance seems to offer horizons of development and prosperity. At the same time, it could be reduced to an illusion without a "cultural and moral renaissance." Energy policies are to be viewed in the perspective of the "integral development of the human being" (Declaration on the Right to Development of 1986, 5), which includes not only material development, but, above all, the cultural and moral development of each and every person and of all peoples. All are involved in this ambitious and indispensable project, both inside and outside of the nuclear and energy sector, both in the public and private sector, and both on a governmental and non-governmental level. In this way, a common commitment to security and peace will lead not only to a just distribution of the earth's resources, but above all to the building of a "social and international order in which the rights and freedoms" (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 28) of all human persons can be fully realized.

As terrible as the Fukishima disaster has been - let us not forget what happened in Chernobyl in 1986 - its impact would be dwarfed by the effects of a nuclear weapon explosion, which may account for Germany having decided just recently to close all of its nuclear reactors by 2022. So, the Church's condemnation of any use of nuclear weapons remains as unequivocal today as it was nearly 50 years ago when the Second Vatican Council expressed that condemnation so clearly.