“Nuclear deterrence and the threat of mutually assured destruction cannot be the basis for an ethics of fraternity and peaceful coexistence among peoples and states,” writes Pope Francis. “Then youth of today and tomorrow deserve far more. They deserve a peaceful world order based on the unity of the human family, grounded on respect, cooperation, solidarity and compassion. Now is the time to counter the logic of fear with the ethics of responsibility, and so foster a climate of trust and sincere dialogue.”

In a message from Pope Francis to His Excellency Mr Sebastian Kurz, Federal Minister For Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria, President of the Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons.

Prof. Robert Delahunty spent most of his legal career before joining the UST faculty at the Office of Legal Counsel, where he was made Special Counsel and a member of the Senior Executive Service in 1992. His work and writing at the Office of Legal Counsel focused on the constitutional law of foreign relations, Presidential war powers, public international law, treaties, and immigration law.

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Joseph Grodahl Biever earned both a law degree and M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and is currently working on a Master's degree in Catholic Studies.  He was the first intern to work with the Caritas in Veritate Foundation, an organization that provides research support for the Holy See Mission at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.  Grodahl Biever helped the Caritas in Veritate Foundation connect with a network of Catholic academic and other experts around the world to provide briefings and reports on issues ranging from human trafficking and modern slavery to patents on genetic resources to weaponized drones to religious freedom.  ‌