Pope says world on ‘very limit’ of nuclear war

Pope Francis expressed fears on Monday that the world is at the “very limit” of nuclear war.

Reuters reported that he made the remark when aboard a flight for a visit to Chile and Peru.

His statements came following a false ballistic missile alert issued in Hawaii that rattled the United States over the weekend.

{mosads}Pope Francis did not specifically mention the false alert, but said in response to a question about whether he is worried about the prospect of nuclear conflict, “I think we are at the very limit. I am really afraid of this. One accident is enough to precipitate things.”

Reuters noted that Vatican officials distributed a photo showing a Japanese boy carrying his dead brother following the U.S. nuclear attack on Nagasaki in 1945.

“I was moved when I saw this,” Francis said, according to the news service, adding that he would add the words “the fruit of war” to the photo’s caption.

The false alert was issued to individuals in Hawaii amid high tensions over North Korea’s nuclear program. State officials have said the alert was mistakenly sent out when an employee pushed the wrong button. 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is investigating the incident.