(LifeSiteNews) — Marking the 80th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Pope Leo XIV wrote to Hiroshima’s bishop renewing his constant call for “lasting peace.”
In a letter sent to Bishop Alexis Shirahama of the Diocese of Hiroshima, Pope Leo called to mind the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombs dropped by the U.S. on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
“Though many years have passed, the two cities remain living reminders of the profound horrors wrought by nuclear weapons,” he wrote.
The two cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki “urge us to reject the illusion of security founded on mutually assured destruction,” wrote Leo. “Instead, we must forge a global ethic rooted in justice, fraternity and the common good.”
Citing those who survived the bombings – known as the hibakusha survivors – Leo wrote:
In a particular way, I express my sentiments of respect and affection for the hibakusha survivors, whose stories of loss and suffering are a timely summons to all of us to build a safer world and foster a climate of peace.
The immediate death toll from the two bombs – Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and Nagasaki on August 9 – is estimated to be up to 245,000, the majority of whom were civilians. Hiroshima saw the greater loss of life, with estimates suggesting over 150,000 people died.
The American Pope also drew from the writings of Dr. Takashi Nagai, a Catholic physician who died in 1951 after surviving the Nagasaki bombing. Nagai’s witness of prayer after the bombings led to his being titled the “saint of Urakami” and he is now a Servant of God, on the path to canonization.
Nagai was conducing medical procedures when the Nagasaki bomb struck, dedicating himself to treating patients despite being injured himself with a severed artery.
His wife was killed and his house destroyed by the blast; despite these sufferings, Nagai became a prolific promoter of peace and Catholic charity.
Quoting Nagai, Leo wrote: “The person of love is the person of ‘bravery’ who does not bear arms.”
Drawing also form his first Urbi et Orbi message for peace, Leo closed his statement by renewing his regular calls for an end to global conflicts:
It is thus my prayer that this solemn anniversary will serve as a call to the international community to renew its commitment to pursuing lasting peace for our whole human family – “a peace that is unarmed and disarming.”
Currently a delegation of U.S. prelates is visiting Japan to commemorate the anniversary. Led by Cardinals Blase Cupich, Robert McElroy, Archbishop Wester of Santa Fe, and Bishop Etienne of Seattle, the group will spend some seven days in the country, seeking to participate in prayer vigils for “reconciliation, solidarity, and peace throughout the Pacific region, bridging religions and generations amid local instability, widespread divisions, and intensifying nuclear threats.”
Their voyage has come about thanks to the Partnership for a World Without Nuclear Weapons, which was established in 2023 by Wester, Etienne, and the bishops of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
For their part, the Catholic Japanese bishops have issued a letter outlining forthright commentary on what they highlight as the failings of the past and the present with regard to the furthering of arms.
“The horror and sinfulness of war are clear to many people, but we must learn from the experience of 80 years ago that instilling ideas and values in everyday life unwittingly changed public opinion and led to war,” they wrote. “Is Japan really on the path to peace?”
The bishops decried the existence of nuclear weaponry and instead urged for peace to be fostered in light of Biblical teachings:
Therefore, when we try to work for peace, we cannot move forward without reflecting on our relationship with God, our relationship with people, and our relationship with the natural environment. We must be converted and engage in desirable relationships before God. Peace does not come from nuclear weapons or the balance of forces.
Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis both visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1981 and 2019 respectively. Issuing an impassioned plea to global political leaders whilst at Hiroshima, the Polish pope urged them to “promise our fellow human beings that we will work untiringly for disarmament and the banishing of all nuclear weapons: let us replace violence and hate with confidence and caring.”
