Pope Francis Calls On World Leaders To End Use Of Nuclear Weapons

Pope Francis has demanded world leaders scrap nuclear weapons, insisting the arms race decreases security, wastes resources and threatens humanity.

The Pontiff blasted the demise of arms control treaties while visiting Nagasaki in Japan, where one of two atomic bombs were dropped during the Second World War.

After laying a wreath and praying at the foot of the memorial to the victims, the Pope said the place stands as a stark reminder "of the pain and horror that we human beings are capable of inflicting upon one another".

"Convinced as I am that a world without nuclear weapons is possible and necessary, I ask political leaders not to forget that these weapons cannot protect us from current threats to national and international security," he said.

The first US atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, killing 140,000 people.

The second one dropped three days later on Nagasaki and killed another 74,000 by the end of the same year.

Many of the survivors have suffered the lasting impact of radiation and developed various forms of cancer.

The Pontiff has long vocalised his views on nuclear weapons saying not only the use but the mere possession of them is "to be condemned".

"The possession of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction is not the answer to this desire; indeed they seem always to thwart it," he added.

The Pope will visit Hiroshima on Sunday as he starts a three-trip to Japan aimed at calling for a global ban on atomic weapons.

He further lamented the "climate of distrust" on non-proliferation efforts and the arms control framework, a reference to a series of violated treaties and the demise of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty, a landmark Cold War-era arms control agreement.

The US formally withdrew from the treaty in August, after accusing Moscow of developing a Russian missile system prohibited under the agreement.