Peter Kuznick, the Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University, who drafted the joint appeal to Pope Leo XIV calling for his intervention to convene a meeting of world leaders to stop the emerging global war, was interviewed by Glenn Diesen on Tuesday under the title “Entering the Age of Nuclear Wars.” In addition to his discussion of the mounting insanity among Western leaders preparing for nuclear war, Kuznick outlined the role of the initiative, starting from the earlier letter written by Pax Christi’s Jack Gilroy, which calls on Archbishop Wester to appeal to the Pope (which Kuznick says he gave to Cardinal Semeraro in Italy, who promised to hand-deliver it), and Kuznick’s own drafting of the most recent letter, a direct appeal to Pope Leo to take action.
Kuznick emphasized the role of Pope Leo’s moral leadership in the world, as well as the intention to use the letter to inform the world population of the dire danger of nuclear conflict and to mobilize for a peaceful future and an end to militarism.
The broadcast had over 12,000 viewers within two hours of its posting. Importantly, Kuznick included in his discussion the June 2025 statement by former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, severely warning of a growing danger of nuclear war, as well as the warning by Sergey Naryshkin, head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Agency (SVR), that civilization is at its most fragile moment since World War II and faces the danger of a new world war.
