Spending on nuclear weapons continues to rise sharply, growing by nearly 20 percent last year as nuclear arsenals are modernized and expanded. Faith in DisarmamentOpposition to nuclear weapons by religious leaders is almost as old as the bomb itself. In a 1955 Christmas radio message Pope Pius XII renounced nuclear weapons, a position which has strengthened in the papacy over time. In 2017, Pope Francis marked a significant change with his firm condemnation of the “very possession” of nuclear weapons. Impacts of nuclear weapons include elevated rates of cancers and other illnesses as well as economic, social, and environmental harm.