Pope warns world is one step away from nuclear war, say situation scares him

Pope Francis said on Monday said the world stood on the "edge" of nuclear war and admitted the situation terrified him.

Pope Francis made the comment as he flew off for a visit to Chile and Peru, a day after a false missile alert sparked panic in the US state of Hawaii, already on edge over fears of a North Korean attack.

I think we are at the very limit. I am really afraid of this. One accident is enough to precipitate things Pope Francis said when asked if he was worried about the possibility of nuclear war.

 
Pope Francis, 81, who has often spoken of the dangers of nuclear weapons, presented the press aboard the plane with a harrowing photograph taken in 1945 that shows a young Japanese boy carrying his dead brother on his shoulders following the U.S. nuclear attack on Nagasaki.

Pope Francis had written just four words on the back of the image: "The fruit of war".

I was moved when I saw this. The only thing I could think of adding were the words ‘the fruit of war, he said in reference to a caption put on the back of the image.

I wanted to reprint and distribute it because an image like this can be more moving than a thousand words. That is why I wanted to share it with you," he said.