40th Anniversary of Chernobyl: Pope Urges Nuclear Energy Only for Peaceful Use

VATICAN CITY (CNA) – Pope Leo XIV spoke today on the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, calling for nuclear energy to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes.

Following a prayer service at the Vatican, Leo XIV stated that the fatal explosion at the Soviet-era Chernobyl power plant 'awakened human conscience' and 'continues to warn people today of the risks inherent in increasingly powerful technologies.'

The 70-year-old Pope said, 'I hope that at all decision-making levels, insight and responsibility will always prevail over everything else, so that every use of nuclear energy serves life and peace.'

On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the former Soviet Union (now Ukraine) exploded, causing the worst nuclear disaster in world history. A 2005 United Nations report noted that the number of confirmed and predicted deaths from radiation among the most affected populations was 4,000, though other NGOs and agencies suggest higher figures. Data indicates about 600,000 'liquidators' involved in cleanup efforts were exposed to high doses of radiation.