Appeal to Pope Paul VI on the Question of the Nuclear Weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty

SECRET Copy Nº 1 

ROME

[to the] SOVIET AMBASSADOR 

Meet with the Deputy Secretary of State of the Vatican and saw that you have instructions to confidentially bring the following to the attention of Pope Paul VI. 

Questions of the support of peace and security and the prevention of the danger of nuclear war have been repeatedly touched upon in the course of contacts between the Soviet side and the Vatican. These important problems were discussed with Pope Paul VI by N. V. Podgornyy and A. A. Gromyko. Mutual understanding was found in these conversations regarding the fact that concrete steps are needed in the direction of halting the arms race and a removal of the danger of nuclear war. 

The statements of Pope Paul VI, including from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly, against the nuclear arms race and the danger of nuclear war and for disarmament have been received favorably in Moscow. 

Remembering this, we would like to draw the attention of Pope Paul VI to the important and pressing question which is being discussed right now at the UN General Assembly session, namely the nuclear weapons non-proliferation treaty. 

This treaty, worked out as a result of long and difficult negotiations, has great importance for the cause of strengthening peace and the creation of favorable conditions to fight for the complete prohibition and destruction of nuclear weapons, for general disarmament. The hopes of the peoples are now concentrated in it that in the world of tomorrow the threat of nuclear war will not arise, but diminish, that the arms race will be limited and then halted. 

Right now, when the solution to the question of the conclusion of a treaty has entered the final stage it is especially necessary to combine the efforts of everyone who realizes what dangers the proliferation of nuclear weapons carries with it and who understands the responsibility of the moment favorable to the treaty becoming a reality and its provisions being put into effect more rapidly. 

In our opinion, in these conditions those steps which you consider possible on your part for Pope Paul VI to take, including the use of the diplomatic abilities of the Vatican, in favor of the fastest possible conclusion of the nuclear weapons non-proliferation treaty, the humane goals of which meet the aspirations of all humanity, would be of no small importance. 

Telegraph when this is done.