EWTN News reports that Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe delivered a keynote address at the Arms Control Association’s annual meeting on June 2, 2026, declaring that “there is no such thing as a ‘just’ nuclear war.” The archbishop extensively quoted from the writings of the usurper Leo XIV and his predecessor Francis, calling for nuclear disarmament and warning against the use of artificial intelligence in weaponry. Wester praised the 2021 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as “a step in the right direction” and lamented the current nuclear arms race among the United States, Russia, and China. He referenced research suggesting AI models would choose nuclear weapons in 95% of simulated crisis situations and called for a stronger focus on disarmament from the U.S. “bishops,” even requesting Leo XIV to write a specific encyclical on the threat. This address exemplifies the conciliar sect’s characteristic substitution of naturalistic humanitarian concerns for the supernatural mission of the Church and the public reign of Christ the King.
The Substitution of Naturalistic Pacifism for Catholic Just War Doctrine
The declaration by Archbishop Wester that “there is no such thing as a ‘just’ nuclear war” represents a direct assault on the Catholic doctrine of just war, a teaching consistently upheld by the Church’s Magisterium throughout the centuries. While the Church has always taught that war is a grave evil and that every reasonable effort must be made to avoid it, she has never categorically denied the possibility of a just war, even one involving weapons of mass destruction. The Catechism of the Council of Trent explicitly affirms the legitimacy of defensive war under certain conditions, and the traditional understanding of *jus ad bellum* and *jus in bello* has always allowed for proportionate responses to grave threats.
Wester’s blanket condemnation of nuclear war as inherently unjust reveals the infiltration of a naturalistic pacifism that has no foundation in Catholic theology. This position aligns perfectly with the modernist tendency to reduce the Church’s social teaching to mere humanitarianism, stripping it of its supernatural foundation and its recognition of the sovereignty of God over nations. As Pius XI taught in *Quas Primas*, Christ the King has authority over all nations, and it is through His law that the justice of any war must be measured, not through the calculations of secular arms control advocates. The archbishop’s statement effectively denies the Church’s traditional teaching on the right of self-defense, a right rooted in natural law and confirmed by the Fifth Commandment’s prohibition against unjust killing, which implicitly permits proportionate defense of innocent life.
The conciliar sect’s obsession with nuclear disarmament reflects its broader capitulation to secular ideologies. The Arms Control Association, the organization to which Wester addressed his remarks, is a nonpartisan policy group founded in 1971 that promotes nonproliferation and disarmament from a purely secular, humanistic perspective. By aligning himself with such an organization and adopting its framework, Wester demonstrates the post-conciliar church’s abandonment of its prophetic mission in favor of participation in the world’s political processes on the world’s terms. This is precisely the “reconciliation with progress, liberalism, and modern civilization” condemned by Pius IX in the *Syllabus of Errors* (Proposition 80).
The Usurper Leo XIV and the Illegitimacy of Conciliar Authority
Throughout his address, Wester repeatedly invoked the authority of Leo XIV, the current usurper occupying the Vatican, quoting from the latter’s encyclical *Magnifica Humanitas* and citing his warnings about nuclear weapons and artificial intelligence. This appeal to the authority of an antipope is itself a grave scandal and a manifestation of the schism that has consumed the conciliar sect since the death of Pius XII.
As the sedevacantist position demonstrates, a manifest heretic cannot be the Roman Pontiff. The teachings and actions of John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis, and now Leo IV have consistently promoted heresies condemned by the Church’s perennial Magisterium, including religious liberty, ecumenism, and the collegiality that undermines papal primacy. Leo XIV’s encyclical *Magnifica Humanitas*, with its call for nuclear disarmament and its embrace of secular humanitarian concerns, is merely the latest in a long line of modernist documents that have led the faithful astray.
Wester’s request that Leo XIV write a specific encyclical on nuclear weapons reveals the depth of the conciliar sect’s apostasy. Instead of calling for a return to the social teaching of the true popes, such as Leo XIII’s *Rerum Novarum* or Pius XI’s *Quas Primas*, the archbishop seeks further innovation from an illegitimate authority. This is the very “pursuit of novelty” condemned by St. Pius X in *Lamentabili Sane Exitu* (Proposition 1), which leads to “deplorable consequences” and the “rejection of the heritage of humanity.”
The Omission of Supernatural Realities and the Primacy of God’s Law
Perhaps the most striking feature of Wester’s address is its complete silence on the supernatural realities that must govern any Catholic discussion of war and peace. There is no mention of prayer, penance, or conversion as the primary means of achieving peace. There is no reference to the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Queen of Peace or to the power of the Rosary in averting divine chastisement. There is no acknowledgment that war is ultimately a consequence of sin and that true peace can only come through the triumph of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
This silence is characteristic of the conciliar sect, which has systematically emptied Catholic discourse of its supernatural content. As the *Syllabus of Errors* condemns in Proposition 58, the modernists teach that “the rectitude and excellence of morality ought to be placed in the accumulation and increase of riches by every possible means, and the gratification of pleasure.” In the case of Wester and his fellow modernists, this manifests as a reduction of the Church’s peace mission to secular arms control advocacy, devoid of any reference to the supernatural means of grace or the ultimate judgment of God.
The archbishop’s reference to AI models choosing nuclear weapons in 95% of simulated crisis situations is particularly revealing. This appeal to secular research and technological speculation demonstrates the modernist tendency to place human reason above divine revelation, condemned by Pius IX in Proposition 3 of the *Syllabus*: “Human reason, without any reference whatsoever to God, is the sole arbiter of truth and falsehood, and of good and evil; it is law to itself, and suffices, by its natural force, to secure the welfare of men and of nations.”
The Modernist Condemnation of Nuclear Deterrence
Wester quoted Leo XIV as saying it is erroneous to believe nuclear deterrence is an “indispensable prerequisite for security.” This position represents a significant development in the conciliar sect’s moral teaching, one that goes beyond the cautious statements of previous antipopes. Francis had declared that “the use of nuclear weapons, as well as their mere possession, is immoral,” which Wester called “a huge, huge statement” that “goes further than other popes.”
This progressive radicalization on nuclear weapons is consistent with the modernist principle of the evolution of dogma, condemned by St. Pius X in *Lamentabili Sane Exitu* (Proposition 58): “Truth changes with man, because it develops with him, in him, and through him.” The Church’s moral teaching does not evolve or progress; it is immutable, rooted in the eternal law of God. What the modernists present as a “development” in teaching is in reality a corruption, a departure from the truth in favor of accommodation with the spirit of the age.
The traditional Catholic position on deterrence, while recognizing the grave moral dangers inherent in nuclear weapons, has never categorically condemned the possession of such weapons as a deterrent against aggression. The principle of double effect and the traditional teaching on legitimate self-defense allow for the possession of weapons intended to deter an enemy from attacking, provided that the intention is not to use them offensively and that the response would be proportionate. The conciliar sect’s rejection of this nuanced position in favor of absolute condemnation reflects its broader rejection of the Church’s traditional moral theology in favor of a sentimental humanitarianism.
The Call for a New Encyclical and the Illusion of Conciliar Authority
Wester’s expressed hope for “a stronger focus on nuclear disarmament from the U.S. bishops” and his intention “to ask Leo to write an encyclical specifically about the threat” reveals the conciliar sect’s characteristic reliance on documents, statements, and institutional processes rather than on the supernatural means of grace. This bureaucratic approach to spiritual and moral problems is a hallmark of modernism, which seeks to reduce the Church’s mission to the production of texts and the convening of conferences.
The request for a new encyclical from an illegitimate authority is particularly scandalous. The faithful have no obligation to heed the teachings of antipopes, and any “encyclical” produced by Leo IV would carry no more authority than any other document produced by the conciliar sect. As St. Robert Bellarmine teaches, a manifest heretic loses his jurisdiction *ipso facto* and cannot exercise any authority in the Church. The faithful are not bound to follow the teachings of those who have departed from the faith, for “a manifest heretic cannot be Pope” (Bellarmine, *De Romano Pontifice* 2:30).
The Absence of Episcopal Resistance and the Complicity of the Hierarchy
Wester noted that “most of the feedback he received from fellow bishops was favorable, but ‘there’s not a huge urgency’ from most clergy because there are ‘so many other issues to deal with these days.'” This admission reveals the spiritual bankruptcy of the entire conciliar hierarchy. The “bishops” of the neo-church are so immersed in the world’s concerns and so detached from the supernatural mission of the Church that they cannot recognize the urgency of any issue, whether it be nuclear disarmament or the salvation of souls.
This complacency is the inevitable result of the conciliar revolution, which has transformed the Church from a divine institution dedicated to the salvation of souls into a humanitarian organization dedicated to social justice and world peace. The “bishops” of the conciliar sect are not successors of the Apostles but functionaries of a bureaucratic apparatus that has lost all connection with the Church’s true mission. As Pope Celestine I taught regarding Nestorius, those who have departed from the faith cannot exercise any authority in the Church, for “he who has departed from the faith with such preaching cannot depose or remove anyone.”
Conclusion: The Kingship of Christ Over Nations
The address by Archbishop Wester and the broader conciliar obsession with nuclear disarmament represent a fundamental betrayal of the Church’s mission. Instead of proclaiming the kingship of Christ over all nations and calling rulers to submit to His law, the modernists have reduced the Church’s social teaching to a series of policy positions indistinguishable from those of secular humanitarian organizations. Instead of calling for prayer, penance, and conversion as the means to true peace, they advocate for treaties, arms control agreements, and technological safeguards.
The true path to peace lies not in the abolition of nuclear weapons but in the recognition of Christ the King and the submission of all nations to His law. As Pius XI declared in *Quas Primas*, “The peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ” is the only foundation for lasting peace. Until individuals, families, and states recognize the reign of our Savior and order their lives according to His commandments, all attempts at peace will be in vain. The faithful must reject the false peace offered by the conciliar sect and return to the immutable tradition of the Church, which alone can lead to true peace in the kingdom of Christ the King.
Source:
Archbishop Wester at arms control conference: ‘There is no such thing as a just nuclear war’ (ewtnnews.com)
Date: 02.06.2026