Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI
Saturday, 2 August 2025
Diocesi di Nagasaki
by Fabio BerettaNagasaki (Agenzia Fides) – Buildings razed to the ground, living beings disintegrated, people killed in seconds as a result of an energy so devastating that their shadows remain imprinted on the walls or the asphalt today. In the terrible wake of destruction caused by the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, exactly 80 years ago, one of the two bells of the ancient Urakami Cathedral was also swept away.When the church was rebuilt, that bell tower remained empty. In recent months, several American Catholics have raised funds to rebuild that bell and have donated it to the Cathedral. Peter Michiaki Nakamura, Archbishop of Nagasaki, spoke about this in an interview with Fides: “this new bell was recently installed in the empty bell tower and will ring for the first time at the same time that the atomic bomb exploded in the sky of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.”The new bell will ring for the first time at 11:04 a.m.: for the Archbishop, its ringing “will be a reminder of the victims and a call for peace. The fact that the bell destroyed by an atomic bomb manufactured and dropped by the United States was rebuilt and donated by American citizens, and welcomed by the Church of Urakami, represents a concrete sign of forgiveness, reconciliation, and hope.” In other words, for the pastor of the Nagasaki community, this “bears witness to the possibility of walking together toward the realization of peace in the world.”A Year of Hope“I hope that, every time that bell rings, people will remember these events and can commit themselves, with hope, to building peace.” 2025, indeed, is “the year of hope.”And not just because of the Jubilee. “2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the war and the atomic attack, and it is an opportunity to reflect once again on the importance of preventing the outbreak of war, of praying for an end to the conflicts currently raging around the globe, and of promoting not only the abolition of the use of nuclear weapons, but also their production and possession.”“Many people think war is wrong,” the Archbishop adds, “but at the same time, if Japan were attacked by a foreign power, many would believe that responding with war is inevitable. For this reason, it is crucial to begin now to build bonds of cooperation and mutual understanding, so that war never has the slightest chance of breaking out.”With this in mind, the Diocese of Nagasaki, together with the Diocese of Hiroshima, has begun a collaboration with the Dioceses of Seattle and Santa Fe in the United States, with the shared goal of a nuclear-free world. “I think it is very important to foster this kind of relationship and connection with others,” Nakamura comments.Rearmament and FearsThe Japanese Bishops’ Conference recently published a document on peace to commemorate the eighth anniversary of the atomic bomb. The document posed a question: “The horror and evil of war are evident to many, but we must learn from the experience of 80 years ago and remember that the ideas and values conveyed in everyday life changed public opinion and fostered conflict. “Is Japan truly on the path to peace today?”For the Archbishop of Nagasaki, “considering the expansion of arms and the current educational system in Japan, it is difficult to affirm that the country is truly on the path to peace. Japanese society is also highly competitive, often dominated by the pursuit of profit and a marked materialism. In such a society, there is a risk of wars based on fighting and conquest.”The question posed by the Japanese bishops in the document stems from the recent deployment of missile systems in Okinawa and the Nansei Islands for defensive purposes. “Even in the Kyushu region, military bases are being strengthened for defensive purposes,” the Archbishop specifies. When asked how young people are reacting to this military buildup, he asserts that “many young people, not only Catholics, lack a true understanding of how tragic and inhuman war is. Although peace education is taught in schools, it is mainly theoretical or purely factual. It was recently revealed that the Ministry of Defense has sent pamphlets to schools that explain in an accessible way the “necessity and legitimacy of defense.”For the Archbishop, the Church “must ensure that school education does not inadvertently become biased and geared toward preparing for war, promoting the erroneous idea that peace can be achieved through military force.” In this context, Nakamura noted that “the Church has a duty to witness to love, forgiveness, and self-giving to others, not only with words, but through a concrete lifestyle.”“Fighting” for PeaceDuring World War II, the Archbishop recalls, “Japan also committed cruel and despicable acts against other countries. However, at that time, in the face of these horrors, the Japanese Catholic Church was unable to express firm opposition or protest. One reason is probably that, during the war, Christians were called ‘yaso’ (a derogatory term for Christians, ed.) and discriminated against as ‘unpatriotic.’ Anyone who opposed the conflict, even non-Christians, was labeled as such. Despite this, I believe that, even at the risk of persecution, they lacked the courage and strength to cry out for peace.”“Today, however, the Episcopal Conference can and must spread messages of peace. And, of course, pray for peace. Following the visit of two Popes to Japan, the Japanese people have more deeply understood the important role of the Church in promoting peace. Sustained by the message and commitment of the Successor of Peter, the Church in Japan, a nation struck by atomic bombs, believes it can increasingly fulfill its duty as a messenger of peace.”(Agenzia Fides, 2/8/2025)
Diocesi di Nagasaki
Diocesi di Nagasaki
Diocesi di Nagasaki
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