British Catholic bishops and voluntary organizations advocate for an end to the arms trade

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UK Catholic Bishops have partnered with voluntary organizations to call for an end to the arms trade ahead of one of the world’s largest gun fairs in London.

In addition to calling for an end to the lucrative arms trade that they say fuels conflict, suffering and forced migration, it harms poorer communities and has devastating consequences for our environment.

“We recognize the right of every country to defend itself against attacks, but we must never ignore, or allow ourselves to become complicit in, the destruction of human life and violations of human dignity made possible by the sale of weapons. “, we read in the declaration published jointly by the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales and Scotland, in collaboration with many faith-based organizations and Justice and Peace.

The statement echoes Pope Francis’ call for an end to the arms trade.

“We recall Pope Francis ‘message:’ Why are lethal weapons sold to those who contemplate inflicting untold suffering on individuals and on society? Unfortunately, the answer, as we all know, is simply about the money: money soaked in blood, often innocent blood. In the face of this shameful and guilty silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and stop the arms trade. ”

Together with those in charge of the bishops’ conference, the declaration was signed by representatives of Pax Christi, CAFOD, SCIAF and the National Justice and Peace Network.

They express their solidarity with all those people of good will who campaign peacefully against the arms trade and “join in prayer with the Holy Father for our leaders to commit to putting an end to it, in search of peace. and the protection of our entire human family “.

The joint declaration precedes the DSEI armaments fair scheduled in London from September 14 to 17. The fair brings together governments and military delegations from around the world with more than 1,500 companies selling weapons, bombs and other weapons.

According to Statista’s research department, global defense spending increased between 2017 and 2020, with the United States being the largest contributor to the huge sums of money spent on defense and weapons each year. In 2020, the United States spent about $ 778 billion, more than triple that of China’s in second place.

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