On January 23-25, 1984, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences assembled a group of 18 scientists at its headquarters, the Casina Pio IV. Their mission was to issue a third warning to humanity about the potential consequences of a nuclear war, with a particular focus on the severe climate disruptions it could cause worldwide.
Their work was based on two previous working groups, convened by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on October 7-8, 1981, and September 23-24, 1982, which produced the Declaration on the Consequences of the Use of Nuclear Weapons and the Declaration on the Prevention of Nuclear War, available in French, English, and Italian.
The participants of the working group, along with the members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences who convened it, are cognizant of their responsibility to inform the world about the potential fallout of a nuclear attack, which could threaten the very future of humanity.
Carlos Chagas, President of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences