Pope Leo XIV marked the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima with a powerful message condemning nuclear arms and honouring the victims of one of history’s most devastating wartime tragedies.
Message Delivered During Peace Mass in Hiroshima
The Pope’s message, addressed to Bishop Alexis Shirama of Hiroshima, was read aloud by the Apostolic Nuncio to Japan, Archbishop Francisco Escalante Molina, during a Mass for Peace held in the city on Wednesday.
“Nuclear arms offend our shared humanity and betray the dignity of creation,” Pope Leo XIV said, echoing the Church’s firm stance against weapons of mass destruction.
Remembering Victims and Survivors
The twin bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by US forces in August 1945 killed an estimated 150,000 to 246,000 people. The Pope said these cities remain “living reminders of the profound horrors wrought by nuclear weapons.”
He paid tribute to the survivors – the hibakusha – whose testimonies he described as “a timely summons to all of us to build a safer world and foster a climate of peace.”
Condemning Illusion of Nuclear Deterrence
Pope Leo XIV reiterated a warning made by his predecessor, Pope Francis, who famously declared: “War is always a defeat for humanity.” The current pontiff added that true peace requires “the courageous laying down of weapons, especially those with the power to cause an indescribable catastrophe.”
He denounced the notion of deterrence through mutually assured destruction, calling it an “illusion of security.” Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he said, “urge us to reject this illusion and embrace a global ethic rooted in justice, fraternity, and the common good.”
Appeal for ‘Unarmed and Disarming’ Peace
Concluding his message, the Pope offered a prayer that the anniversary would serve as a wake-up call for the international community. He urged world leaders to renew efforts for “a peace that is unarmed and disarming,” emphasising that such peace must be founded not on power, but on unity and compassion for all humanity. (Vatican News)
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