The Archbishops of Santa Fe, Seattle, and Nagasaki and the Bishop of Hiroshima will be traveling to New York City in late November for the first Review Conference of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The Archbishop and Archbishop Emeritus of Nagasaki plan to bring a replica of the Madonna of Nagasaki (a statute) whose face was burnt by the plutonium bomb 81 years ago.

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Today there is a public hearing in Santa Fe for the draft Plutonium Pit Production Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, made possible by Nuclear Watch New Mexico’s successful lawsuit.

Plutonium “pits” are the fissile cores of nuclear weapons. Their production has been the choke point of U.S. industrial-scale nuclear weapons production ever since a 1989 FBI raid investigating environmental crimes shut down the notorious Rocky Flats Plant near Denver.

As the archbishop of the diocese where nuclear weapons were invented, I follow in the footsteps of our late Pope Francis who declared that their mere possession is immoral. Today I am guided by Pope Leo XIV, who has declared: “The idea of the deterrent power of military might, especially nuclear deterrence, is based on the irrationality of relations between nations, built not on law, justice and trust, but on fear and domination by force.”

Here I believe that our Holy Father gets to the heart of the matter. The Pit Production Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement claims that the National Nuclear Security Administration’s programs are consistent with the 1970 Nonproliferation Treaty. That deserves serious examination.

For 56 years, the Nonproliferation Treaty has acted as the cornerstone of nuclear weapons nonproliferation. However, the treaty is now badly frayed, perhaps even in danger of collapsing. Its 11th review conference, being held now at the United Nations in New York City, is widely expected to fail for the third time over 15 years to make any progress whatsoever toward nuclear disarmament. This is primarily due to the never-ending refusal of the nuclear weapons states to enter into serious negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament, which they pledged to long ago in the treaty. The one-word excuse is always “deterrence”; that is, to deter others from using nuclear weapons. But this deflects the blame from our own possession of immoral, genocidal weapons.

“Deterrence” is at best only a half-truth. In reality, our government’s policy has always been a hybrid of deterrence and maintaining nuclear warfighting capabilities that can end civilization overnight. That is why the U.S. and Russia each have thousands of nuclear weapons instead of only a few hundred for minimal deterrence. That is why the U.S. has a $2 trillion so-called modernization program to keep nuclear weapons forever, in which expanded plutonium pit production is the critical issue.

Pope Leo XIV calls for a world built on law, justice and peace, which is our God-given duty to pursue. The U.S. Constitution enshrines international treaties as the “supreme Law of the Land.” The essential bargain of the Nonproliferation Treaty was that the nuclear weapons powers promised to negotiate nuclear disarmament, in exchange for which all other nations promised to never acquire them. The nuclear weapons powers have not upheld their end of this legal bargain.

No future pit production is to maintain the safety and reliability of the existing nuclear weapons stockpile. Instead, it is all for new-design nuclear weapons which can’t be tested because of the international testing moratorium, thereby perhaps eroding stockpile confidence. Or new-design nuclear weapons could prompt the U.S. to return to testing, which would shred the global nonproliferation regime.

The enormous sums for unneeded new nuclear weapons rob from the poor and needy. Military spending is reaching record heights while programs for the common man and woman are being slashed. We urgently need comprehensive cleanup at the Los Alamos National Laboratory to protect our irreplaceable groundwater. Instead, $6 billion will be put into LANL’s nuclear weapons programs next year, of which $2.4 billion is for plutonium pit production. But cleanup gets less than $300 million.

These are the clearly the wrong priorities. I urge concerned citizens to speak their minds at this evening’s public hearing. In addition, please be sure to submit written comments on the need for cleanup and nuclear disarmament by the deadline of July 16 (which happens to be the 81st anniversary of the Trinity Test that harmed New Mexicans).

The Most Rev. John C. Wester is archbishop of Santa Fe.

[The Pit Production PEIS public hearing Thursday, May 14, 2026: 5:00-5:30 pm Open House Poster Session, 5:30-8:00 pm Formal Public Hearing, at the Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute, 1607 Paseo de Peralta. It is also virtual at https://bit.ly/PitPEIS14May, Meeting ID: 278 752 885 654 34, Passcode: W9Bt96vN Written comments should be submitted by July 16 to PitPEIS@nnsa.doe.gov]

—

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Mass for World Peace-August 5th, 2025 – 16:00

HIROSHIMA MEMORIAL CATHEDRAL FOR WORLD PEACE

I offer cordial greeting to all gathered to commemorate the eightieth anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In a particular way, I express my sentiments of respect and affection for the Hibakusha survivors, whose stories of loss and suffering are a timely summons to all of us to build a safer world and foster a climate of peace.

Though many years have passed, the two cities remain living reminders of the profound horrors wrought by nuclear weapons. Their streets, schools and homes still bears-both visible and spiritual-from that fateful August of 1945. In this context, I hasten to reiterate the words so often used by my beloved predecessor Pope Francis: “Wars is always a defeat for humanity.”

As a survivor from Nagasaki, Dr. Takashi Nagai wrote, “The person of love is person of bravery who does not bear arms” (Heiwato, 1979). Indeed, true peace demands the courageous laying down of weapons-especially those with the power to cause an indescribable catastrophe. Nuclear arms offend our shared humanity and also betray the dignity of creation, whose harmony we are called to safeguard.

In our time of mounting global tensions and conflicts, Hiroshima and Nagasaki stand as “symbols of memory” that urge us to reject the illusion of security founded on mutually assured destruction. Instead, we must forge a global ethic rooted in justice, fraternity and comm [sic] good.

It is thus my prayer that this solemn anniversary will serve as a call to the international community to renew its commitment to pursuing lasting peace for our whole human family— “a peace that is unarmed and disarming” (First Apostolic Blessing “Urbi et Orbi”, 8 May 2025).

Upon all who mark this anniversary, I willingly invoke abundant divine blessings.

From the Vatican, 14 July 2025

Leo PP. 14

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Plutonium Pit Production Programmatic EIS “Scoping” Comments

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, Nuclear Watch NM, Savannah River Site Watch and Tri-Valley CAREs successfully sued the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) over its failure to complete a required nationwide “programmatic environmental impact statement” (PEIS) for its most costly program ever, the expanded production of plutonium “pit” bomb cores.

To meet its enforced legal obligation, the NNSA is holding these virtual “scoping” hearings:

Tuesday, May 27, 2025:

5:00-7:30 pm EST, 4:00-6:30 pm CST, 3:00-5:30 pm MST and 2:00-4:30 pm PST

Meeting Link: https://bit.ly/PuPEISMtg1

Dial in by Phone: (571) 429-4592 Phone ID: 808 821 801#

Wednesday, May 28, 2025: 7:00 pm-9:30 pm EST, 6:00 pm-8:30 pm CST, 5:00 pm-7:30 pm MST, and 4:00 pm-6:30 pm PST Meeting Link: https://bit.ly/PuPEISMtg2

Dial in by Phone: (571) 429-4592 Phone ID: 989 289 432#

“Scoping” is to determine the scope or range of issues that should be examined in the PEIS. NNSA seeks to narrowly confine the scope, for example declaring expanded plutonium pit production at the Los Alamos National Lab (LANL) in New Mexico as part of the so-called “No Action Alternative.” NNSA also plans on simultaneous production at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina.

Suggested talking points for scoping comments:

• As per the 1970 NonProliferation Treaty (NPT) the official policy of the U.S. government is to pursue nuclear disarmament. How does expanded plutonium pit production comport with that?

• The PEIS’ time horizon is 50 years, in effect nuclear weapons forever. There should be a genuine No Action Alternative of diminishing nuclear weapons programs in alignment with the NPT.

• What is the need for expanded plutonium pit production to begin with? No future production is to maintain the safety and reliability of the existing nuclear weapons stockpile. Instead, all pit production is for new design nuclear weapons. Will this help fuel a new nuclear arms race?

• Could new design nuclear weapons with new pits prompt the U.S. to resume testing?

• In 2006 independent experts concluded that pits have reliable lifetimes of more than a century (their average age now is ~42). Expanded pit production should not proceed until another independent pit life study has been completed.

• The U.S. already has more than 15,000 plutonium pits in storage. The reuse of existing pits should be thoroughly analyzed as a viable alternative to the manufacturing of new pits.

• Pit production at SRS is increasingly over budget and further delayed. As a result, will pit production be increased at LANL? How will this impact the Lab’s poor nuclear safety record?

• NNSA assumes that the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) will be prioritized for disposal of pit production radioactive wastes. In contrast, the New Mexico state permit requires prioritization of LANL cleanup wastes and that DOE start looking for a new out-of-state dump. In addition, WIPP is already oversubscribed for all the radioactive wastes that the Department of Energy wants to send to it. NNSA needs to fully analyze and project plutonium pit waste disposal for the next 50 years.

• NNSA has no credible cost estimates for expanded plutonium pit production. Why?

• The Trump Administration is suppressing environmental justice and climate change issues. I demand full discussion of these issues as they relate to pit production in this PEIS.

These suggested scoping comments are available at https://nukewatch.org/pit-scoping-comments

__________________

You can also submit written comments on the scope of the PEIS:

Email to: PitPEIS@nnsa.doe.gov by July 14, 2025

Put in email subject line: “2025-08140 (90 FR 19706) Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Plutonium Pit Production Scoping Public Comment.”

__________________

For more please visit www.nukewatch.org

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Scholarship awardees and others are encouraged to register as soon as possible and before the April 8 date, when registration costs will increase.

You can register for DC Days at https://ananuclear.org/dc-days-registration/

People that tried to register between March 8 and 20th were unable to do so. But the registration process is working again. If you have not received a registration confirmation, you are not registered!

The registration costs are: $150 early bird registration (by April 8) for those self-identified as under 30 or BIPOC or frontline communities; $225 regular registration by April 8. After April 8 the costs increase to $200 for those under 30 or BIPOC or frontline communities; and $350 regular registration.

Housing.

ANA has secured some beds at Friends Place, 515 E. Capitol St, SE (just four blocks from Capitol Hill). A number of scholarship awardees will be staying there. Available beds are bunk beds on upper floors. For those interested, the beds are $50 per night, so that’s lower cost than many other options. If you are interested in having a bed, please let me know as soon as possible, as they will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. You can see more about Friends Place at: https://www.friendsplacedc.org/

DO NOT contact Friends Place about reservations, as reservations are done through ANA.

Orientation.

On Wednesday, May 21 at 8 ET, 7 CT, 6 MT, 5 PT there will be a virtual orientation. All first time participants should plan to attend! People who have previously attended DC Days are also welcome. The orientation will cover all aspects of DC Days, including logistics, the issues on which we’ll be lobbying, as well as time for questions and answers.

Sunday Training.

Please arrive in DC by Saturday, June 7, in order to attend the all-day training on Sunday, June 8, starting at 9 am at the United Methodist Building, 100 Maryland Ave, NE (where we had the training in 2023 and 2024). Team meetings will be Monday, June 9 through Wednesday, June 11 with congressional and administration officials.

The awards nomination process has started:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U1vY9OCnluALCLSznBQSnXdLdtXkVlCb0a4atooe6e0/edit?usp=sharing

ANA member organizations can nominate someone to receive an award at the Reception on Tuesday, June 10. The event is always a high point of DC Days. The deadline for Nominations is April 14. The DC Days Committee decides who receives the awards.

As we have done in recent years, there’s a central location for information about DC Days 2025 at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p5nxIw_6Et-oypzmfe-duMtGnaSCownlimh_UeVIuF8/edit?usp=sharing

The possible meetings tab shows meetings that we may try to arrange. If there are meetings that you want to have and are not on the Possible Meetings list, please email me about the additional meetings that you think we should try to set up.

We look forward to seeing many of you in DC on June 8!

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What you can do:
Sign up to attend Public Comment in the morning, either in-person or virtually, to demand that Boulder County withdraw from the Rocky Mountain Greenway.
When: Thursday March 6th at 9:00 a.m.
Where: Commissioners’ office Boulder County Courthouse, Third Floor, 1325 Pearl St. Boulder, CO 80302

After signing up to join, please click the link below to send a 1-click letter to Boulder County Commissioners.

Register to attend or speak virtually
Register to speak in-person
Click Here to send your letter!
Then join us for a presentation to the County Commissioners!

What: Boulder County Commissioners Administrative Meeting: Rocky Mountain Greenway

When: Thursday March 6th at 2:00 p.m.

Where: This meeting is open to members of the public.

In Person: Commissioners’ office Boulder County Courthouse, Third Floor, 1325 Pearl St. Boulder, CO 80302
Virtually: Virtual Attendee Link for March 6 Public Meeting on Rocky Mountain Greenway

Thank you to everyone who has taken action and spread the word to oppose HB25-1040 “Adding Nuclear as a Clean Energy Resource.” Despite hundreds of letters being sent and around 50 people testifying to oppose the bill, the bill unfortunately passed out of the House and is now on its way to the Senate Transportation & Energy Committee for a hearing on Monday March 10th at 1:30 PM.

This gives us under 1 week to mobilize the major grassroots effort that is needed to stop this bill from passing its (likely final) committee hearing before it goes to the full Senate for a vote.

This bill, if passed, would put nuclear in the same category as wind and solar energy, which would green-light the expansion of nuclear reactors across Colorado as part of the “clean-energy transition.” Nuclear power is anything but “clean”; it produces radioactive waste, relies on uranium mining, and puts frontline communities and workers at risk.

If you agree that Colorado’s energy transition should not include nuclear energy, please take the following actions to oppose this bill, and spread the word to your networks:

Send a letter to the Senate Transportation & Energy Cmte.
Register to Testify on Monday March 10 at 1:30pm
Endorse this Effort as an Organization, Business, etc.
Read and share this HB25-1040 Toolkit
Print and share this 1-page (2-sided) Action Factsheet

Join Longmont for Palestine every Sunday from 12:00 – 1:00 pm on 6th & Main St. in Longmont for a weekly Palestine vigil! Bring your signs and posters, or just stop on by to ask any questions you may have and get to know us! We will have signs available, as well as informational flyers, postcards, and zines.

Join Longmont for Palestine at SandΨs every Sunday at 1:30pm for Teatime for Palestine! This is simply an offer to hold space for each other and to be in community, bound by our solidarity and shared fight for a Free Palestine. Wear your kuffiyah, read something from our mobile liberation library, and meet like-minded neighbors. We’ll mostly be upstairs because our hosts have generously reserved this area for us, but you’ll find us throughout the coffeehouse.

Accessibility note: A ramp is available at the front entrance; unfortunately there’s no elevator inside to get to the upstairs section of the coffeehouse.

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The members of congress who participated, in addition to Rep. McGovern included: Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME-1), Rep. Jim Foster (IL-11), Rep. Garamendi (CA-8), Rep. Don Beyer (VA-8), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL-3), Re. Dina Titus (NV-1) and Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-12).

Our three Bay Area delegation Representatives, Lee, Garamendi and DeSaulnier demonstrated remarkable leadership in addressing this critical issue. Their voice is helping to advance the conversation about nuclear disarmament and the urgent need to eliminate these catastrophic weapons.

We encourage you to take a moment today to thank any and all of the representatives who participated, but especially if you live in one of the member’s district! These members deserve some accolades and attention for their outspoken leadership displayed by participating in the Special Order session and for being cosponsors of H.Res. 77. A simple call or email can make a big difference in reinforcing the importance of their efforts and encouraging them to continue championing this cause.

Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-12)
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10)
Rep. Garamendi (CA-8)
Rep. Jim McGovern (MA-2)
Rep. Chellie Pigree (ME-1)
Rep. Jim Foster (IL-11)
Rep. Don Beyer (VA-8)
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12)
Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL-3)
Re. Dina Titus (NV-1)

Feel free to use this sample message as a template for a personalized email or phone call:
“Thank you for your leadership on nuclear disarmament, including your remarks during the recent Special Orders session on nuclear weapons. Your commitment to addressing this urgent threat inspires hope, and I am proud to have you representing our district. I also deeply appreciate your decision to cosponsor H.Res. 77, demonstrating your steadfast commitment to reducing the danger posed by nuclear weapons. Please continue advocating for this resolution and other efforts to address this critical issue.”

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Office of Communications/ Social Media

 4000 Saint Joseph Place NW

Albuquerque, NM 87120-1714

Leslie M. Radigan, Director

Voice 505.831.8180

lradigan@archdiosf.org,  | www.archdiosf.org

Archbishop John C. Wester to Honor the 79th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki

NEWS RELEASE

Partnership for a World Without Nuclear Weapons:

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Saturday, August 3, 2024 – IMMEDIATE RELEASE—Partnership for a World Without Nuclear Weapons: Most Rev. John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Jay Coghlan, Executive Director of Nuclear Watch New Mexico, are set to embark on a pilgrimage to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombings. This visit underscores the Archdiocese of Santa Fe’s unwavering commitment to advocating for universal, verifiable nuclear disarmament.

During this multi-day journey, they will engage with Japanese and Korean bishops, fostering dialogue and solidarity in the shared mission to eliminate nuclear weapons globally. This pilgrimage is a testament to the enduring spirit of peace and reconciliation and a call to action for renewed and serious conversations about disarmament in New Mexico and around the world.

“Standing in the very places where the catastrophic consequences of nuclear warfare were first realized compels us to rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of a world free from nuclear weapons,” said Archbishop Wester. “This pilgrimage is not only a gesture of remembrance but also a commitment to continue our work toward global peace and security.”

He emphasized the critical need for sustained advocacy. “The lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are more relevant than ever. As we honor the victims and survivors of these tragedies, we must also challenge the status quo and push for real progress in nuclear disarmament.”

The visit to Hiroshima and Nagasaki will include participation in memorial ceremonies, meetings with survivors (hibakusha), and discussions with key religious and civic leaders. These activities will serve as a powerful reminder of the moral and ethical imperatives to dismantle nuclear arsenals and prevent future nuclear catastrophes.

As leaders in the movement for nuclear disarmament, the pilgrimage symbolizes a bridge between past tragedies and future hope, reinforcing the global call for a world without nuclear weapons. Their efforts in Japan will further energize conversations and initiatives within New Mexico and beyond, aiming to inspire a new generation of activists and policymakers committed to this vital cause.

For more information on the Partnership for a World Without Nuclear Weapons and updates on the pilgrimage, visit archdiosf.org/living-in-the-light-of-christs-peace and Archdiocese of Santa Fe’s Facebook page.

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