The text of the Archbishop's speech and letter

"I am grateful to the organizers of this event for allowing me to express publicly my solidarity with all those who will take part in this long march for peace. I know my colleague Cardinal O'Brien is looking forward to joining you during the final stretch leading to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday afternoon.

The Catholic Bishops of Scotland have taken a consistent and clear line on this issue. I was one of the drafters of the statement back in 1982 which said that if it was immoral to use nuclear weapons, it was surely also immoral to threaten their use.

That position has earlier this year been restated by the Bishops as their contribution to the debate called for by the Prime Minister over whether or not the UK should replace Trident with a new nuclear weapon system.

In expressing this view, we are echoing the constant calls of the Vatican over the years for progressive disarmament to take place. Indeed our recent statement has drawn praise from the head of the Church's Justice and Peace office in Rome.

Earlier this year Pope Benedict summed up the Catholic Church's position on this issue in his message for World Day of Peace. He said:

"What can be said about those governments which count on nuclear arms as a means of ensuring the security of their countries? Along with countless persons of good will, one can state that this point of view is not only baneful but also completely fallacious.

"In a nuclear war there would be no victors, only victims. The truth of peace requires that all whether those governments which openly or secretly possess nuclear arms, or those planning to acquire them agree to change their course by clear and firm decisions, and strive for a progressive and concerted nuclear disarmament"

"How can there ever be a future of peace when investments are still made in the production of arms and in research aimed at developing new ones?"

These sentiments are shared by all of us here today, and it is my hope that their logic will prevail at the highest levels when the time comes to decide on the future of the UK's nuclear defence policy.