(EFE) of the war in Ukraine.
The writer and journalist José María Zavala supports this thesis in his latest book El reloj del apocalipsis. How to Survive the End Times (HarperCollins), in which he wonders if there are already signs that this evil countdown has begun and how man might try to counteract such dark omens.
In an interview with EFE, Zavala emphasizes that “In 1947, Albert Einstein and other Nobel laureates devised the so-called Clock of the Apocalypse, the deadly hour of which was metaphorically set at midnight.
The closer the hands are to that hour – and according to the author, they are only a hundred seconds away today – based on climatic, epidemiological or nuclear conflict risks, the closer the apocalypse will be.
Zavala points out that “In 1947, Albert Einstein and other Nobel laureates devised the so-called clock of the apocalypse, metaphorically setting the hour of death at midnight.
“It is evident that the way to delay this symbolic clock is the good will of the main political leaders in protecting the environment, advancing health plans and of course preventing the outbreak of nuclear war through a sincere and effective will to negotiate “, he emphasizes.
In this sense, Zavala is referring to the meeting Pope Francis held at the Vatican last January with a senior world dignitary (whose name the Pope declined to reveal) and who told him that war in Ukraine was inevitable.
Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on February 24, the pope declared that “World War III had already begun,” a statement that many saw as rhetorical or perhaps metaphorical, but which for Zavala was based on solid and concrete geopolitics based criteria.
“Of course, the Pope relies on geopolitical criteria when it comes to ensuring that World War III has already begun,” points out the author, who affirms that Francisco tried and is trying to use diplomatic efforts to stop the war , so far without success. .
It is possible that with this discreet diplomatic guidance from Francisco he was remembering Pope John XXIII. (1958-1963) who witnessed firsthand the “missile crisis” in Cuba in October 1962, which devastated the world on the brink of a nuclear war that ended at the last moment after a series of delicate diplomatic efforts involving the Pope was much more than just an observer was prevented.
No pope in history has traveled to Moscow, while paradoxically, Putin is the political leader who has visited the Vatican most, says Zavala
Francisco “attempted something similar, and I know he continues to do so through diplomacy,” says Zavala.
Russian President Vladimir Putin “met the Pope at the Vatican back in November 2013, a month after Russia and the Holy See urged the United States not to intervene militarily in Syria. In 2015, the two met for the second time.” This time in the Vatican, after Russia’s annexation of Crimea. And for the third and last time in 2019, when Putin arrived at the Apostolic Palace an hour late. They talked about Russia’s presence in Venezuela, Syria and Ukraine,” they comment.
Likewise, Zavala points out, “Francisco spoke via videoconference on March 16 with the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kiril I, amid the escalation of the war in Ukraine and the growing threat of its spread to the rest of the world.”
Regarding these meetings, Zavala highlights Russia’s refusal to allow a possible papal visit.
“Once again, the possible visit of the Pope to Russia turned out to be a mere illusion. No pope in history has ever visited Moscow, while paradoxically, Putin is the political leader who has visited the Vatican the most,” he comments. .
“Society is stunned and unresponsive. Everyone has settled into their ‘comfort zone’ and doesn’t seem to care what happens to their neighbor, Zavala warns
And getting back to the clock of the apocalypse and that the metaphor isn’t a reality at the end, Zavala argues that “there are signs that show we’re entering the final stretch of recent times,” to the point that “some experts are already beginning.” to worry about everything that happens”, citing among them the British physicist Stephen Hawking; to the President of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists,
Rachel Bronson or the President of the Royal Society of London, the astrophysicist Martin Rees, who has pointed out that “nuclear weapons continue to pose the most immediate and catastrophic threat to mankind”.
And faced with this situation, Zavala expresses his concern at an apparent apathy in society.
“Society is stunned and unresponsive. Everyone has settled into their ‘comfort zone’ and doesn’t seem to care what happens to their neighbor. Although, of course, everything has a limit and I am referring to history, which is cyclical and repeats itself: economic crises, wars, epidemics… Nothing new under the sun, but this time it could be much worse,” stresses Zavala, who notes that “prophecies sometimes come true”.
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The 14ymedio team is committed to serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for accompanying us on this long journey. We invite you to continue to support us, but this time by becoming a member of our newspaper. Together we can continue to transform journalism in Cuba.