Commentary: Pope visits A-bombed cities, calls on all people to act to abolish nuclear arms
Nov. 25, 2019
by Junji Akechi, Staff Writer
“The use of atomic energy for purposes of war is today, more than ever, a crime,” said Pope Francis. During his visits to the A-bombed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Pope used powerful language to criticize nuclear weapons as illegal, and he called for the human race to free itself from possessing and relying on such weapons for its security. He denounced current international conditions in which countries are engaging in a new arms race that even includes the development of low-yield nuclear weapons. The Pope called on not only political leaders but also all people around the world to take action to advance the elimination of nuclear arms.
Amid escalating tensions between the United States and Russia, both of which are nuclear superpowers, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which is believed to have marked a turning point in the Cold War, has expired. The modernization of their nuclear arsenals is under way, and China has also been bolstering its military might. “How can we speak of peace even as we build terrifying new weapons of war?” said Pope Francis in Hiroshima, criticizing such nations for vying for power without consideration for humanity as a whole.
The Pope said that the key to a breakthrough in these current circumstances is human memory. “To remember, to journey together, to protect.” He said that handing down the memories of the atomic bombings to future generations “ensures and encourages the building of a more fair and fraternal future.”
He also demonstrated his resolve to deliver a strong message by visiting both Hiroshima and Nagasaki in one day. His schedule was so tight that he did not have time to visit the Peace Memorial Museum, but, even briefly, he listened to an A-bomb survivor’s account. Through his actions, Christians around the world surely recognized the existence of A-bomb survivors who were forced to endure great hardships. As every move he makes is covered by the media, it seems that the Pope sought to make the most of his high visibility.
The Pope also gave the A-bombed cities an assignment. “No one can turn a deaf ear to the plea of our brothers and sisters in need,” he said in Nagasaki. This metaphor is an indisputable fact to those whose family members were killed in the atomic bombing. The Pope also said, “From that abyss of silence, we continue even today to hear the cries of those who are no longer.” The dead were not given a chance to speak out against nuclear weapons. The Pope asked us, we who live in the A-bombed cities, to sustain the memories of those who were lost.
The Japanese government, while saying that Japan is the only nation to have experienced atomic bombings, has adopted a backward-looking stance with regard to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which emphasizes the inhumanity of such weapons. “Future generations will rise to condemn our failure if we spoke of peace but did not act to bring it about among the peoples of the earth.” The government is urged to respond to the Pope’s words.
(Originally published on November 25, 2019)
“The use of atomic energy for purposes of war is today, more than ever, a crime,” said Pope Francis. During his visits to the A-bombed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Pope used powerful language to criticize nuclear weapons as illegal, and he called for the human race to free itself from possessing and relying on such weapons for its security. He denounced current international conditions in which countries are engaging in a new arms race that even includes the development of low-yield nuclear weapons. The Pope called on not only political leaders but also all people around the world to take action to advance the elimination of nuclear arms.
Amid escalating tensions between the United States and Russia, both of which are nuclear superpowers, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which is believed to have marked a turning point in the Cold War, has expired. The modernization of their nuclear arsenals is under way, and China has also been bolstering its military might. “How can we speak of peace even as we build terrifying new weapons of war?” said Pope Francis in Hiroshima, criticizing such nations for vying for power without consideration for humanity as a whole.
The Pope said that the key to a breakthrough in these current circumstances is human memory. “To remember, to journey together, to protect.” He said that handing down the memories of the atomic bombings to future generations “ensures and encourages the building of a more fair and fraternal future.”
He also demonstrated his resolve to deliver a strong message by visiting both Hiroshima and Nagasaki in one day. His schedule was so tight that he did not have time to visit the Peace Memorial Museum, but, even briefly, he listened to an A-bomb survivor’s account. Through his actions, Christians around the world surely recognized the existence of A-bomb survivors who were forced to endure great hardships. As every move he makes is covered by the media, it seems that the Pope sought to make the most of his high visibility.
The Pope also gave the A-bombed cities an assignment. “No one can turn a deaf ear to the plea of our brothers and sisters in need,” he said in Nagasaki. This metaphor is an indisputable fact to those whose family members were killed in the atomic bombing. The Pope also said, “From that abyss of silence, we continue even today to hear the cries of those who are no longer.” The dead were not given a chance to speak out against nuclear weapons. The Pope asked us, we who live in the A-bombed cities, to sustain the memories of those who were lost.
The Japanese government, while saying that Japan is the only nation to have experienced atomic bombings, has adopted a backward-looking stance with regard to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which emphasizes the inhumanity of such weapons. “Future generations will rise to condemn our failure if we spoke of peace but did not act to bring it about among the peoples of the earth.” The government is urged to respond to the Pope’s words.
(Originally published on November 25, 2019)
