Washington: With the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) set to expire on February 5, leaders of the Catholic Church in the United States have issued a strong warning against allowing the landmark nuclear arms control agreement to lapse. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), described the treaty’s possible expiration as “simply unacceptable” in the current global climate.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Archbishop Coakley pointed to the growing instability caused by ongoing conflicts around the world, particularly the devastating war in Ukraine. He cautioned that these realities only heighten the risks associated with weakening or abandoning nuclear arms control measures between the world’s major powers.
Calling for a moral and spiritual response alongside political action, the Archbishop urged people of faith and all those committed to peace to pray earnestly for the international community. He appealed for the courage needed to pursue a peace that is not temporary or superficial, but authentic, transformative, and enduring.
New START, the last remaining major nuclear arms reduction agreement between the United States and Russia, places limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons and includes verification mechanisms aimed at building trust and transparency. Its impending expiration, Church leaders warn, could open the door to a dangerous escalation in nuclear armaments.
Archbishop Coakley echoed concerns previously raised by Pope Leo XIV, who in January highlighted the urgent need to renew or meaningfully follow up on the New START framework. The Pope warned that failure to do so risks reviving an arms race marked by increasingly advanced weapons systems, including those enhanced by artificial intelligence.
The USCCB President also recalled Pope Leo XIV’s broader teaching on peace, drawing from the Pope’s message for the World Day of Peace and the legacy of Saint John XXIII. That vision, he noted, calls for “integral disarmament” and a fundamental shift in mindset one that recognizes that lasting peace cannot be secured through equal stockpiles of weapons, but only through mutual trust and cooperation among nations.
Against this backdrop, Archbishop Coakley made a direct appeal to political leaders, urging them to pursue diplomatic negotiations with determination and creativity in order to preserve New START’s limits and move further along the path toward disarmament. He stressed that even serious international disagreements must not become excuses for stalled diplomacy or inaction.
Rather than retreating into silence or confrontation, he said, global tensions should serve as a motivation to intensify dialogue and constructive engagement. In closing, Archbishop Coakley offered a prayer that Christ, the Prince of Peace, may guide the hearts and minds of world leaders and peoples alike, inspiring them to work for peace in a spirit of universal fraternity.