He told the UN committee on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons that the threat is especially dangerous today.

He highlighted the global increase in rhetoric and threats about nuclear weapons' use, the "tense strategic environment" many countries are facing and the "ongoing modernisation and expansion of nuclear arsenals".

He noted Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned nuclear weapons could be used if Russia faces a serious enough threat from Ukraine.

He said that in the Middle East conflict between Israel and Hamas, the possibility of nuclear weapons being deployed is a real concern.

He also noted that no-one knows if Israel has a nuclear arsenal - if so, some experts say it's likely to be small. Israel maintains a policy of strategic ambiguity on the matter.

While Iran does not possess nuclear weapons, it is reportedly trying to develop them in nuclear facilities Balestrero added.

His views are backed by calculations from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Ican).

It is quoted as saying global spending on nuclear weapons hit a world record last year.

Ican reported that estimated nuclear weapons spending went up about 13 per cent to a record $91.4 billion during 2023. It attributed the increase in part to a sharp increase in US defence budgets - although all nine of the world's nuclear-armed nations are spending more.

Technologies to deploy the weapons are also advancing.

Madly costly affront to humanity

Balestrero noted the Vatican believes possessing nuclear weapons even for deterrence is morally wrong. So is manufacturing them.

He told the UN that such actions are "an affront to humanity as a whole".

This view is the opposite of the MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) doctrine, he noted. In that doctrine the opponents have nuclear weapons they can never use as each would wipe the other out.

Balestrero told the UN a nuclear weapons-free world is "both possible and necessary".

He suggested there are three ways to address the increase in rhetoric and spending around nuclear weapons and their use:

Make it so that non-proliferation and disarmament are seen as more than just legal obligations. Show them as "ethical responsibilities towards all members of the human family".

Develop "sincere dialogue" aimed at reducing nuclear weapons stockpiles worldwide.

Spend the money currently invested in nuclear weapons on humanitarian projects.

Source

• Catholic Herald

In a video call to mark the opening of children's centres near Moscow, he was heard speaking in overtly religious terms about the need to shape the worldview of young Russians.

Putin emphasised the importance of combatting what he terms the West's "Satanic" values.

During the call, the Kremlin leader referenced various Bible quotes. This is an escalating trend of using religion to rationalise his harsh campaign in Ukraine.

Drawing parallels from biblical narratives, Putin referenced Peter and Andrew as examples of individuals who spread the word of God under Jesus' guidance. He likened their mission to his own efforts to safeguard Russian culture and traditions.

In a meeting of Russian officials, Putin asked: "Do you remember how Jesus came to Galilee and saw the fishermen beside the Sea of Galilee?

"One was catching fish, another was fixing his net. And He said to them: ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men, fishers of human souls'. They became his evangelists, his students.

"This was very important at a time when world religions were developing … but it is no less current now, when we must defend our traditional values, our culture, our traditions and our history. This is very important for the future of the country."

"Miracle of God"

Putin stressed the importance of preserving traditional values for the country's future. These values encompassed not only Christianity but also Islam, Judaism and Buddhism which he identified as Russia's other "traditional religions".

Around 70% of Russian citizens identify as Christian and Putin is aware of this.

Patriarch Kirill, leader of the Russian Orthodox Christian church, is close to Putin. He called Putin's long stint at the top a "miracle of God".

Kirill previously proclaimed that Russian soldiers who died in the line of duty in Ukraine had all of their sins forgiven. He compared their sacrificial death to that of Jesus.

Sources

The Standard

Daily Star

Song of Freedom and Resilience

As Bono explained, the band purposely revived the enduring Crowded House classic for its inspirational essence:

"The idea is to record something special to honour Alexei Navalny's widow, Yulia, who is continuing the fight against Vladimir Putin" Bono told the audience.

"It's a song about freedom, that's the truth."

The iconic New Zealander gave his full blessing, feeling honoured that his uplifting lyrics carry such a powerful message.

"The other day, we got a beautiful e-mail from Neil Finn who wrote this bewilderingly beautiful song" said Bono.

"Attached to the e-mail was a version of the song he said we could play whenever we wanted.

"It's a new version that he did, and we're going to try and record it. Neither party has spoken to our record label [about releasing this], so this might be the only recording that might ever exist.

"Please take your phones and send it to whoever loves freedom you know.

"Maybe send it to people that don't. There's a few of them around."

With that, the band kicked off the song's recording, which featured Finn singing the verses, thereby allowing U2 and their fans to sing the chorus.

Unsurprisingly, the crowd was happy to participate, resulting in an emotion-filled collaboration.

Poignant words that resonate

The soaring 1986 hit has resonated across generations with its message to keep persisting through struggles:

"Don't dream it's over, 'cause every night I will lie awake..."

For Navalny's wife Yulia, continuing her husband's democracy movement requires resilience.

Trailblazing virtual collaboration

The collaboration took place on March 3rd during the final night of U2's Las Vegas residency.

Finn told RNZ's Culture 101 that he was grateful for the enduring popularity of Don't Dream It's Over.

"I just see it as a great privilege for it to communicate so much to so many people."

Finn's mother, a devout Catholic, moved to New Zealand from Ireland at the age of two. She maintained a religious influence over the family.

Speaking of Catholicism, Finn stated "It's a great fertile ground for pulling lyrics out.

"[There's] lots of good stuff going on in there, good rituals and imagery and lots of guilt. It's a very potent combination.

"I think you're blessed, really, to be brought up with some kind of weird dogma like that."

Finn and his brother Tim were educated at Sacred Heart College, Auckland and Te Awamutu College in Te Awamutu, Waikato, New Zealand.

Sources

• RNZ
• Wikipedia
• Qthemusic

He made no mention of Putin's February 24 invasion of Ukraine or the war that erupted after. Read more

Speaking to CNN Portugal, the pope said he has spoken to both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that dialogue is key.

"They both visited me here. Not now, before (the war). And I always believe that by having a dialogue, we advance. You know who doesn't know how to talk? Animals. They are pure instinct. Instead, dialogue is letting go of instinct and listening. Dialogue is difficult," he said.

Asked whether he still intends to visit Kyiv, Francis said a papal visit to the Ukrainian capital is "up in the air".

Read More

"They are heretical ideas. Theologically, they must be seriously deconstructed to reveal their fascistic and authoritarian dimension," he insists.

Hovorun, a 48-year-old native of Ukraine, is an archimandrite in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP).

An important and much published theologian of Orthodox Christianity, he has held important leadership posts in the Moscow Patriarchate over the years.

He served from 2009-2012 as vice-president of the Teaching Council of the Russian Orthodox Church and is currently an associate dean for political ecclesiology at Sankt Ignatios Theological Academy in Sweden, as well as senior lecturer at the Stockholm School of Theology.

Two weeks after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, Hovorun gave this exclusive interview to La Croix's Mikael Corre in which he explained the theological foundations underlying the Kremlin's act of war.

La Croix: In a recent interview, you called on the Orthodox Church to re-evaluate its theology, in particular to condemn "the quasi-religious idea that there is a Russian world."

Cyril Hovorun: A war must always be explained before it is launched. Before you need weapons, you need a narrative to convince your people of its validity, to get them to support it.

The idea of a "Russian world" is what underlies the attempted invasion of Ukraine, what gives it a conceptual framework.

In order to understand it well, it is necessary to recall that when Vladimir Putin came to power at the turn of the 2000s, Russia no longer had any ideology. The Kremlin was faced with the void left by the fall of the USSR and the abandonment of communism.

To fill this void, those in power then undertook the restoration of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is the Church that will give the State what it lacks: a goal, a mission, both historical and metaphysical.

And this mission is the defence of the "Russian world"?

That's right. This ideology served first of all to mobilise the Russians, to create the conditions in which they could live together.

It is a logic quite similar to that developed by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in The Social Contract. Except that in the Russian situation, we are not just witnessing the emergence of a kind of civil religion that guarantees social cohesion and allows people to meet around common values.

No, in the Russian situation, the ideas are forged in the Patriarchate and mixed with Vladimir Putin's neo-imperialism, in a kind of blend. It is now used to define enemies and draw the outlines of a war against evil.

Do you think that the aggression against Ukraine has other goals than acquiring new territories, new resources, new access to the sea?

The Kremlin does not follow a simple logic of territorial expansion.

The war in Ukraine is of a different nature. It is being waged in the name of a special mission of religious unification, of protection of a kind of "holy land" against the West - against the Western countries considered heretical, bad and liars, because they are Catholic or Protestant.

It is, first of all, a logic of expansion of the "Orthodox civilisation", which is the other major idea that Orthodox theologians must deconstruct today.

Where does this idea of an "Orthodox civilisation" come from?

It comes from a thesis that fascinated the Moscow Patriarchate when I was working there from 2009-2012: The Clash of Civilisations by Samuel Huntington.

What fascinated the Patriarchate of Moscow was not only the notion of civilisation, but also that of a "clash" and conflict.

The "Orthodox civilisation" was immediately thought of in terms of confrontation with others.

And of expansion?

Absolutely. Talking about civilisation allows the Kremlin not to limit Russia to its borders.

In 2016, Vladimir Putin made a very explicit speech during a gala in Moscow. On stage, the Russian president asked a young boy, "Where do Russia's borders end?" "At the Bering Strait," the child replied. "No, Russia's borders have no end," countered Vladimir Putin.

This is an imperialist idea that was already found in the Roman Empire, in Augustus, for example, the successor to Julius Caesar. The empire has no limits...

Let us return to Ukraine. Why should it, in the mind of the Kremlin, necessarily be part of this "Russian world", of this "Orthodox civilisation"?

Because of history. Or rather a reinvented, mythical vision of history.

This is very clearly what came out of Vladimir Putin's speech on February 21. When Vladimir Putin talks about Ukraine, he does not talk about the actual country, the people who live there or their aspirations. He denies these realities.

Instead, he talks about the "idea of Ukraine", in the Platonic sense.

It's as if the feudal kingdom of Kyiv Rus', Christianised in the 10th century under the reign of Vladimir I, was still a relevant geopolitical reality today... It's as if its destiny was to recover Kyiv, seen as the "cradle of Russian Christianity."

As you describe it, this would be a religious war?

You have to understand that Vladimir Putin has a Hegelian relationship with history. For him, history is driven by ideas that justify his actions.

His speech on February 21 was nothing more than an imaginary frieze unrolled to speak of the "Russian world", of which he sees himself as the redeemer.

His relationship to history is also very messianic: the "Holy Rus'", which would embody the good, would be protected against the forces of evil, represented by the West...

It seems so Manichean, and caricatural... How can one believe it?

I'm not saying that Vladimir Putin, who is a cynic, believes it. But if you listen to the speeches, that's really what comes out.

In a sermon on March 6, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow explained, for example, that the war in Ukraine is made necessary by the "genocide" that would be perpetrated in the Donbass by Ukrainians against those who refuse Gay Pride.

This may seem to you a mind-blowing, absurd statement, but it is very coherent: it paints a good picture of this "clash of civilisations" of which we spoke.

On one side, there is Christian Russia. On the other side, there is the West, ontologically evil, which promotes homosexuals, perceived as the incarnation of evil, and which should be exterminated.

Today, there is an urgency in Orthodoxy to attack these discourses. From the moment the world was created by God, it is theologically impossible to argue that any part of this world is essentially evil.

And how can one defend the extermination of gay and lesbian people if one believes that we were created in God's own image?

The ideas of a "Russian world" and an "Orthodox civilisation" are based on bad theology. They are heretical ideas. Theologically, they must be seriously deconstructed to reveal their fascistic and authoritarian dimension.

What should this deconstruction process involve?

Through the same work of critical analysis of texts, of publication of books or articles, which took place in Catholicism and Protestantism after the Second World War.

Some theologians, for example, tried to demonstrate that Jesus was not a Jew, in order to go along with the anti-Semitic theses.

Catholic and Protestant theology had to be de-nazified, purged of these sick analyses.

Orthodox theology today must be de-Putinised, and more broadly rid of these fascist drifts.

In Romania, for example, the theses of an anti-Semitic and pro-fascist theologian like Nichifor Crainic (1889-1972) are enjoying a revival of popularity.

Our weakness today comes from a lot of work that has not been done, that of deconstructing theologies founded under authoritarian regimes in Greece, Serbia, Yugoslavia etc.

The idea of the "Russian world" is unfortunately not the only authoritarian theology of the beginning of the 21st century, but it is the worst.

In what way?

In theory, according to the Russian Constitution, the State and the Church are separate.

But, in fact, we can clearly see that the dream is to recreate a kind of "Byzantine symphony", practically a fusion between political and religious powers.

Rather, I should say to create it from scratch, because this symphony never fully existed in the Byzantine Empire.

This undertaking is dangerous, because it takes any prophetic dimension away from the Church, and makes it a slave of politics. But for some Russian Orthodox, this is a return to a golden age, to past greatness.

So they need a strong man like Putin, who plays the Basileus [i.e. the Byzantine emperor], to dream of an Orthodox empire that is itself strong.

• First published in La-Croix International. Republished with permission.

It was Putin's third meeting with Pope Francis and fifth visit to the Vatican.

At the end of the 55-minute private meeting, Alessandro Gisotti from the Vatican press office, issued a statement describing the discussions as "cordial."

He said Francis and Putin "expressed their satisfaction at the development of bilateral relations".

This included signing a collaboration agreement between the Vatican's Bambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital and pediatric hospitals in Russia.

Putin also reported on the closed-door meeting, saying he and Francis had discussed the issues of protecting the Christian population of the Middle East and humanitarian assistance in Syria.

"It is important that the positions of Russia and the Vatican coincide in the issues concerning traditional values, promoting inter-religious and inter-civilisational dialogue," he said.

Other matters he and Francis discussed included developing relations between Russia and the Vatican. They agreed to pay special attention to cooperation in the fields of culture, education and healthcare, Putin reported.

He said Francis expressed interest in Tolstoy's and Dostoyevsky's literary works.

"We delved into [cultural ties and Russian literature] in a conversation with the pope.

"The pontiff allowed me to make it public that one of the books, which is always on his table, is Russian classical literature, including works by Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy," Putin commented.

"This was a very kind discussion. [We spoke about] some international issues and also about developing bilateral relations between Russia and the Vatican, including the spiritual aspect of this cooperation and humanitarian ties.

"Actually, he [the pope] said something else. I, he said, tell my clergymen that without Dostoyevsky's books, without realising the full depth of his philosophy, one cannot be a true priest," Putin said.

"That speaks volumes, you know. That indicates our mutual, profound spiritual roots. That's why our humanitarian events are such a success."

The transcript of the closed-door meeting was posted on the Kremlin's website on Friday.

Source

• Catholic Herald
• TASS
• TASS
• America Magazine
• Crux Now
• Image: Sputnik International

Metropolitan Ilarion, the head of the Russian Orthodox church's external relations, says Constantinople's decision allowing the Ukranian Orthodox church to establish itself as an independent church is behind the move.

Ilarion says the Constantinople Patriarchate synod's decision to officially recognise "the leaders of the schism" within the Ukrainian Orthodox Church legitimises "the schism that has existed for more than a quarter of a century."

Ilarion says that "has made it impossible for us to stay united with the Constantinople Patriarchate."

The Russian Orthodox church will "respond firmly" to Bartholomew's decision, he says.

Ilarion's statement was made soon after Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, held a meeting with the Russian Security Council to discuss the Orthodox church in Ukraine.

Following this, the Kremlin made a fresh warning about Ukraine capital Kyiv's quest for an independent church.

It said Russia would protect the interests of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine if the split were to lead to illegal action or violence.

Reverend Aleksandr Volkov, a spokesman for Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, says the Holy Synod of the Church would "express its position," without elaborating on what measures it might take.

The Russian Orthodox church's branch in Ukraine has long been accepted by Constantinople Patriarchate as Ukraine's legitimate church, he says.

He has warned the Russian Orthodox synod's response to Constantinople over Ukraine will be "appropriate and tough".

Source

• Reuters
• Unian
• RFERL
• Image: The Catholic Sun

The Vatican secretary of state's diplomatic visit aims to formalise Pope Francis's peacemaking efforts to President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church. Read more

Tornielli has been described as the Pope's favourite journalist.

He made the the suggestion in an article co-written with Giacomo Galeazzi for the Italian newspaper La Stampa.

It is headlined "Catholics who are anti-Francis but love Putin".

They quote sociologist Massimo Introvigne as saying: "It is the mythical idealization of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is presented as a ‘good' leader in contrast to the ‘bad' leader, the Pope, because of his stance on homosexual people, Muslims and immigrants.

"Russian foundations that have strong ties with Putin co-operate with the anti-Francis opposition."

They also describe various organisations and individuals who have expressed scepticism about Pope Francis.

They say "people and groups that are very different among them" are united by their unease about Francis.

They also say opposition is not just expressed by traditionalists.

It is also expressed by "bishops and theologians who were trained according to the Ratzinger and Wojtyla schools of thought".

They back this point by saying Francis has replaced priests and theologians with others who are sympathetic to his views.

Both Tornielli and Galeazzisay believe opposition to the Pope is partly theological and partly political.

They say political opposition especially concerns the Vatican's increasing efforts to improve diplomatic relations with China.

One person they interviewed, historian Agostino Giovagnoli, mentions in particular the website Asia News.

Fr Bernardo Cervellera, the editor-in-chief of Asia News, has responded strongly to the article, describing it as "false", "unfounded" and a "lie" to list his website as opposing the Pope.

Fr Cervellera says his website reports "all aspects, be they complex or contradictory, of a given event" and that they cannot ignore China's underground Christians, who are suffering for their faith "and who now, suddenly, have disappeared from public concerns".

Fr Cervellera says the La Stampa article, by assembling a "blacklist" of opponents, actually does not help the Pope: "You can also betray a person with too much applause," he writes.

Source

• Catholic Herald
• Image: SSPX.org

The Pope was ranked behind Russian president Vladimir Putin, German chancellor Angela Merkel and US president Barack Obama in Forbes's 2015 list.

The Pontiff was ranked ahead of Chinese president Xi Jinping, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen.

"Pope Francis has made it his mission to transform the longstanding conservative image of the Catholic Church," the US business magazine stated.

Pope Francis was ranked fourth in the Forbes list last year too.

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The destruction has caused an outcry from anti-poverty campaigners who say the food should have been given to the poor

A petition against the action on change.org has already attracted more than 300,000 signatures.

Moscow banned many Western food imports last year in retaliation for sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union and others during the confrontation over Ukraine.

The change.org petition states: "Sanctions have led to a major growth in food prices on Russian shelves. Russian pensioners, veterans, large families, the disabled and other needy social groups were forced to greatly restrict their diets, right up to starvation."

"If you can just eat these products, why destroy it?"

Russia's food safety watchdog said officials seized 436 tonnes of various food products on August 6 and destroyed more than 320 tonnes.

A huge pile of Western-produced cheese was destroyed in front of television camera.

One priest from the Russian Orthodox Church, which enjoys close ties with the Kremlin, expressed his anger.

"My grandmother always told me that throwing away food is a sin," the cleric, Alexey Uminsky, said.

He was quoted by the website 'Orthodoxy and the World' as saying: "This idea is insane, stupid and vile."

"Such an idea can only appear with a man who has been in no need for anything in recent decades and is ready to do something like that for populism and quasi-patriotism," he added.

Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week the situation should be not blown out of proportion.

"The primary goal is to stop the contraband . . . Second, to protect economic interests of the country hurt by the contraband. Third, and in fact the most important thing, is safeguarding the health of citizens," he told reporters.

While Peskov said the Kremlin was keeping an eye on the change.org petition, he said banned food was arriving without necessary certificates and could therefore pose health risks.

Sources

• Daily Mail
• Vatican Radio
• Image: Sydney Morning Herald

When Mr Putin met the Pope at the Vatican on Wednesday, he was received with full honours and regalia, including a ceremonial Swiss Guard welcome.

Pope Francis seemed stiff and exceptionally formal when he greeted Mr Putin with a curt "willkommen" (welcome) in German.

Both men remained silent until reporters were ushered out.

The tone of the Vatican statement after the meeting also suggested Francis had been blunt with Mr Putin behind closed doors.

The word "cordial", which is used in nearly every Vatican statement about the Pope's talks with a world leader, did not appear.

But Francis appeared more relaxed during a picture-taking and gift exchange session after their private talks.

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