Pope gets tough on nukes

POPE Francis hardened the Catholic Church’s stance against nuclear weapons yesterday, saying countries should not stockpile them even as a deterrent.

It comes after previous popes said holding a nuclear arsenal to deter others from using the weapons was an acceptable step towards a nuclear-free world.

Speaking at a disarmament conference held at the Vatican, he said weapons, ‘as well as their very possession’, should be ‘firmly condemned’.

He has warned of the threat of nuclear war in response to the growing tension between North Korea and the United States.

He did not specifically mention the crisis in his address, but spoke of a ‘climate of instability and conflict’ and a ‘mentality of fear’ in the world today.