Japan should be ‘first to approve’ nuclear ban, says Tokyo’s Cardinal-elect
Cardinal-elect Isao Kikuchi, Archbishop of Tokyo, called on Japan’s government to become the first nation to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Oct 31, 2024
TOKYO: In a report by Vatican’s Fides News Agency, the prelate urged Japanese leaders to move forward with the treaty, emphasizing the unique position Japan holds as the only country to have suffered atomic bombings.
“The government of Japan, whatever it is, should be the first to approve the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,” Archbishop Kikuchi said, underscoring that any leadership change should not hinder the pursuit of peace.
The prelate made the statement following Japan’s October 27 elections, where the long-standing coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito Party lost its parliamentary majority, which it had maintained since 2012.
The political shift introduces a phase of uncertainty for a country historically marked by stability, according to analysts.
“We hope that the Japanese government can lead the discussion on how to create trust between nations to abolish atomic weapons, inspired by the recent awarding of the peace prize to the Nihon Hidankyo organization,” he said, referring to the group representing survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, which advocates for a nuclear-free world.
This appeal aligned with the Catholic Church in Japan’s longstanding stance on nuclear abolition particularly emphasized during the annual “ten days of prayer for peace” each August.
“As the Catholic Church we actively ask for the abolition, especially during the annual ten days of prayer for peace in August,” Archbishop Kikuchi added.
The period of prayer begins on August 5, marking the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, and concludes on August 15, commemorating the end of World War II in the Pacific in 1945.
Japan’s Catholic community has remained devoted to this cause since Pope John Paul II’s visit to Hiroshima in 1981, which inspired Japanese Bishops to establish the ten days of peace-focused prayer.
“Pope John Paul II made a historic visit to Hiroshima in 1981, launching a strong message for peace. The Japanese Bishops were encouraged by this message from the Pope and thus established the ten days of prayer for peace,” the Archbishop noted.
He recalled that Pope Francis’ 2019 visit to Hiroshima and Nagasaki reinforced this commitment, during which the Pope said, “Never again war, never again the roar of weapons, never again so much suffering,” calling the use and possession of atomic energy for war “immoral.”
Archbishop Kikuchi emphasized that Japan’s Catholic community, along with the dioceses of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is dedicated to advancing the cause of nuclear disarmament and is also working to involve the American Catholic Bishops in these efforts.
“Today, the diocese of Hiroshima and the diocese of Nagasaki, and with them the entire Japanese Catholic community, jointly call for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the establishment of peace, also involving, with a move of high symbolic value, the Bishops of the United States,” he said.
He reiterated the Church’s resolve to partner with “all men and women of goodwill who seek peace, to invite world leaders to abandon nuclear weapons and thus establish lasting peace.”--licas.news
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