Pope urges more nations to join U.N. treaty banning nuclear weapons

Pope Francis conducts a Mass for the Feast of Epiphany in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, January 6, 2021. Vatican Media/­Handout via REUTERS

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday urged more nations to join a U.N. treaty banning nuclear weapons, saying their prohibition is badly needed to promote peace today.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons goes into effect on Friday and has been signed by 86 states, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017.