Pope Francis speaks out against nuclear weapons in Nagasaki

Nov 24,2019

The first grand meeting of the second part of the pope’s trip in Asia was in Nagasaki, at the exact location where the atomic bomb was dropped on Aug. 9, 1945.

Pope Francis looked serious as he walked through the rain, greeting participants who were waiting for him in the stormy weather.

Two elderly survivors gave him this wreath of flowers, which he placed next to the monument where names of victims were written.

In his speech, the pope said, “This place makes us deeply aware of the pain and horror that we human beings are capable of inflicting upon one another.”

He then asked for the total dismantling of nuclear and mass destruction weapons, as they are based on a mentality of fear and distrust. He said they poison the relationships between communities and stop dialogue.

POPE FRANCIS
“Peace and international stability are incompatible with attempts to build upon the fear of mutual destruction or the threat of total annihilation. Convinced as I am that a world without nuclear weapons is possible and necessary, I ask political leaders not to forget that these weapons cannot protect us from current threats to national and international security.”

The pope proposed to use the money saved to maintain these arsenals for the integral development of communities and environmental protection.

POPE FRANCIS
“In a world where millions of children and families live in inhumane conditions, the money that is squandered and the fortunes made through the manufacture, upgrading, maintenance and sale of ever more destructive weapons, are an affront crying out to heaven.”

Next to the monument was the photograph taken by Joe O’Donnell, the icon of the nuclear tragedy. It’s a child waiting in line to deliver his dead brother’s body.

The pope stopped for a few moments with the photographer’s son.

“The photo has done a lot of good work for peace.”

Beneath the rain with great emotion, he left as a choir sang music that matched how everyone felt.

Javier Martínez-Brocal
Translated: Rachel Dobrzynski

Pope visits memorial to Nagasaki martyrs and prays for persecuted Christians today

ROME REPORTS in English

Nov 24,2019

While in Nagasaki, Pope Francis visited one of the most sacred places for Christians in the country, Nishizaka Hill.

This is where the first Japanese Jesuit, St. Paul Miki and 25 other Christians were martyred and crucified in 1596.

This grand monument with life-sized statues celebrates their memory and keeps them as an example for others, because they died forgiving their assassins.

The pope put a wreath of flowers in front of the relics.

POPE FRANCIS
“May it not remain as a glorious relic of the past, to be kept and honored in a museum, but rather as a living memory, an inspiration for the works of the apostolate and a spur to renewed evangelization in this land. May we free ourselves daily from whatever weighs us down and prevents us from walking in humility, freedom, parrhesia and charity.”

The pope also remembered the rest of the martyrs, and the thousands of Christians that are persecuted or harassed for believing in God, today.

POPE FRANCIS
“Let us pray with them and for them. Let us speak out and insist that religious freedom be guaranteed for everyone in every part of our world. Let us also condemn the manipulation of religions.”

The rain at the end of the tribute was not overwhelming, so Pope Francis was able to say personal goodbyes to some of the people before leaving.

Javier Martínez-Brocal
Translated: Rachel Dobrzynski

Pope Francis in Hiroshima: Nuclear weapons are immoral

ROME REPORTS in English

Nov 24,2019

The pope visited Japan’s other icon of the atomic bomb, Hiroshima.

Pope Francis went to the peace memorial, at the hypocenter of the atomic bomb that killed 80,000 people on Aug. 6, and later caused the death of another 60,000.

There, he greeted some elderly survivors. Some could not hold back their tears.

The pope prayed before the arch where the names of the victims are engraved.

Later, they all prayed in silence for world peace.

POPE FRANCIS
“Here, in an incandescent burst of lightning and fire, so many men and women, so many dreams and hopes, disappeared, leaving behind only shadows and silence. In barely an instant, everything was devoured by a black hole of destruction and death. From that abyss of silence, we continue even today to hear the cries of those who are no longer.”

The pope said he came to remember the victims of violence and the strength of those who work for peace. This is why he criticized political leaders who speak of peace but promote nuclear proliferation as a weapon of intimidation. He says fear does not resolve conflicts.

POPE FRANCIS
“With deep conviction, I wish once more to declare that the use of atomic energy for purposes of war is today, more than ever, a crime not only against the dignity of human beings but against any possible future for our common home. The use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral. Just as the possession of nuclear weapons is immoral.”

Pope Francis listened to this woman’s testimony, who is a survivor of the tragedy and saw her friends and family die within a few hours.

Before leaving, the pope approached survivors and bowed down before them and their pain. This gesture was a plea for tragedies like this to never be repeated.

Javier Martínez-Brocal
Translated: Rachel Dobrzynski

Pope Decries Use of Nuclear Weapons at Hiroshima Peace Memorial

‘God of mercy and Lord of history, to you we lift up our eyes from this place, where death and life have met, loss and rebirth, suffering and compassion.’

NOVEMBER 24, 2019 17:03 BY JIM FAIR

Pope Francis concluded his first full day in Japan at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, where he decried in stong and passionate words the use of nuclear weapons. It was the Meeting for Peace.

“God of mercy and Lord of history, to you we lift up our eyes from this place, where death and life have met, loss and rebirth, suffering and compassion.”

At 8:15 on the morning of August 6, 945, the first wartime atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima, destroying it completely. More than 70,000 people died instantly. Another 70,000 died later from radiation burns.

The only building to survive the blast was the Genbaku Dome. Today its iconic ruin stands at the heart of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park as a reminder of the most destructive force ever unleashed by humanity, on humanity.

The Meeting for Peace took place at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial which was attended by about a thousand faithful, 20 religious leaders, and 20 victims. Pope Francis was welcomed by the Prefect, the Mayor, the President of the Prefectural Assembly and the President of the Municipal Council of Hiroshima near the Peace Memorial.

ZENIT’s Senior Vatican Correspondent, Deborah Castellano Lubov, is covering the trip from the Papal Flight.

After signing on the Book of Honor, the Holy Father reached the square below and greeted the religious leaders and, later, the victims present. Two of the victims offered the Pope a floral tribute that he placed in front of the Memorial. Then the Pope lit a candle and, after the ringing of the bell and a moment of silent prayer, he heard the testimony of two victims. Immediately afterward he delivered his speech.

“I felt a duty to come here as a pilgrim of peace, to stand in silent prayer, to recall the innocent victims of such violence, and to bear in my heart the prayers and yearnings of the men and women of our time, especially the young, who long for peace, who work for peace and who sacrifice themselves for peace,” Pope Francis said. “I have come to this place of memory and of hope for the future, bringing with me the cry of the poor who are always the most helpless victims of hatred and conflict.

“It is my humble desire to be the voice of the voiceless, who witness with concern and anguish the growing tensions of our own time: the unacceptable inequalities and injustices that threaten human coexistence, the grave inability to care for our common home, and the constant outbreak of armed conflict, as if these could guarantee a future of peace.

“Indeed, if we really want to build a more just and secure society, we must let the weapons fall from our hands.”

We publish below the speech that the Holy Father gave during the Meeting for Peace:

“For love of my brethren and friends, I say: Peace upon you!” (Ps 122:8).

God of mercy and Lord of history, to you we lift up our eyes from this place, where death and life have met, loss and rebirth, suffering and compassion.

Here, in an incandescent burst of lightning and fire, so many men and women, so many dreams and hopes, disappeared, leaving behind only shadows and silence. In barely an instant, everything was devoured by a black hole of destruction and death. From that abyss of silence, we continue even today to hear the cries of those who are no longer. They came from different places, had different names, and some spoke different languages. Yet all were united in the same fate, in a terrifying hour that left its mark forever not only on the history of this country but on the face of humanity.

Here I pay homage to all the victims, and I bow before the strength and dignity of those who, having survived those first moments, for years afterward bore in the flesh immense suffering, and in their spirit seeds of death that drained their vital energy.

I felt a duty to come here as a pilgrim of peace, to stand in silent prayer, to recall the innocent victims of such violence, and to bear in my heart the prayers and yearnings of the men and women of our time, especially the young, who long for peace, who work for peace and who sacrifice themselves for peace. I have come to this place of memory and of hope for the future, bringing with me the cry of the poor who are always the most helpless victims of hatred and conflict.

It is my humble desire to be the voice of the voiceless, who witness with concern and anguish the growing tensions of our own time: the unacceptable inequalities and injustices that threaten human coexistence, the grave inability to care for our common home, and the constant outbreak of armed conflict, as if these could guarantee a future of peace.

With deep conviction I wish once more to declare that the use of atomic energy for purposes of war is today, more than ever, a crime not only against the dignity of human beings but against any possible future for our common home. The use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral, just as the possessing of nuclear weapons is immoral, as I already said two years ago. We will be judged on this. 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. How can we speak of peace even as we build terrifying new weapons of war? How can we speak about peace even as we justify illegitimate actions by speeches filled with discrimination and hate?

I am convinced that peace is no more than an empty word unless it is founded on truth, built up in justice, animated and perfected by charity, and attained in freedom (cf. SAINT JOHN XXIII, Pacem in Terris, 37).

Building peace in truth and justice entails acknowledging that “people frequently differ widely in knowledge, virtue, intelligence and wealth” (ibid., 87), and that this can never justify the attempt to impose our own particular interests upon others. Indeed, those differences call for even greater responsibility and respect. Political communities may legitimately differ from one another in terms of culture or economic development, but all are called to commit themselves to work “for the common cause”, for the good of all (ibid., 88).

Indeed, if we really want to build a more just and secure society, we must let the weapons fall from our hands. “No one can love with offensive weapons in their hands” (SAINT PAUL VI, United Nations Address, 4 October 1965, 10). When we yield to the logic of arms and distance ourselves from the practice of dialogue, we forget to our detriment that, even before causing victims and ruination, weapons can create nightmares; “they call for enormous expenses, interrupt projects of solidarity and of useful labor, and warp the outlook of nations” (ibid.). How can we propose peace if we constantly invoke the threat of nuclear war as a legitimate recourse for the resolution of conflicts? May the abyss of pain endured here remind us of boundaries that must never be crossed. A true peace can only be an unarmed peace. For “peace is not merely the absence of war… but must be built up ceaselessly” (Gaudium et Spes, 78). It is the fruit of justice, development, solidarity, care for our common home and the promotion of the common good, as we have learned from the lessons of history.

To remember, to journey together, to protect. These are three moral imperatives that here in Hiroshima assume even more powerful and universal significance and can open a path to peace. For this reason, we cannot allow present and future generations to lose the memory of what happened here. It is a memory that ensures and encourages the building of a more fair and fraternal future; an expansive memory, capable of awakening the consciences of all men and women, especially those who today play a crucial role in the destiny of the nations; a living memory that helps us say in every generation: never again!

That is why we are called to journey together with a gaze of understanding and forgiveness, to open the horizon to hope and to bring a ray of light amid the many clouds that today darken the sky. Let us open our hearts to hope, and become instruments of reconciliation and peace. This will always be possible if we are able to protect one another and realize that we are joined by a common destiny. Our world, interconnected not only by globalization but by the very earth we have always shared, demands, today more than ever, that interests exclusive to certain groups or sectors be left to one side, in order to achieve the greatness of those who struggle co-responsibly to ensure a common future.

In a single plea to God and to all men and women of goodwill, on behalf of all the victims of atomic bombings and experiments, and of all conflicts, let us together cry out from our hearts: Never again war, never again the clash of arms, never again so much suffering! May peace come in our time and to our world. O God, you have promised us that “mercy and faithfulness have met, justice and peace have embraced; faithfulness shall spring from the earth, and justice look down from heaven” (Ps 84:11-12).

Come, Lord, for it is late, and where destruction has abounded, may hope also abound today that we can write and achieve a different future. Come, Lord, Prince of Peace! Make us instruments and reflections of your peace!

“For love of my brethren and friends, I say: Peace upon you!” (Ps 122:8).

[01860-EN.02] [Original text: Spanish]

Read the source: https://zenit.org/articles/pope-decries-use-of-nuclear-weapons-at-hiroshima-peace-memorial/

Hiroshima: Testimonies of Atomic Bomb Survivors

With Pope Francis at Meeting for Peace

NOVEMBER 24, 2019 17:19 BY ZENIT STAFF

Pope Francis visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial on November 24, 2019, and delivered a strong condemnation of nuclear weapons.

Two of the victims offered the Pope a floral tribute that he placed in front of the Memorial. Then the Pope lit a candle and, after the ringing of the bell and a moment of silent prayer, he heard the testimonies of the victims.

We publish their testimonies below as provided by the Vatican:

Testimony of Yoshiko Kajimoto, survivor of the atomic bomb

My name is Yoshiko Kajimoto. When we were bombed, I was 14 years old and a third-year middle school student. At the time, I was 2.3 km north of the hypocenter, making parts for airplane propellers.

The moment a blue light flowed through the window, I thought it was a bomb. Then the factory collapsed with a loud sound, and I fainted. I became aware of my friends’ screams, but it was dark, and I couldn’t move because I was buried under timber and tiles. I realized that a friend was under me, so I called out to see if she was alive. I tried to escape, but my right foot was stuck in the timber. When I finally pulled it out, my shin was torn and bleeding badly. When I went outside, all the surrounding buildings were destroyed. It was as dark as evening and smelled like rotten fish.

Soon a fire broke out in the neighborhood, and friends who could not walk were evacuated on stretchers. I also helped carry one. Along the way, there were people walking side by side like ghosts, people whose whole body was so burnt that I could not tell the difference between men and women, their hair standing on end, their faces swollen to double size, their lips hanging loose, with both hands held out with burnt skin hanging from them. No one in this world can imagine such a scene of hell.

In the following days, white smoke was everywhere: Hiroshima had become a crematorium. For a long time, I could not remove the bad smell of cremated people from my body and clothes. Three days later, on the way home, I accidentally met my father. He had searched for me for three days, assuming I was dead. I was really happy. However, my father had been exposed to radiation, and after a year and a half, he vomited blood and died. When I got home, I had a high fever and a lot of bleeding from my gums.

My mother died of atomic bomb disease after suffering for 20 years. Two-thirds of my stomach was removed in 1999 because of cancer. Most of my friends have died of cancer. In addition, due to radiation, 74 years later I suffer from leukemia and cancer. I work hard to bear witness that we must not use such terrible atomic bombs again nor let anyone in the world endure such suffering.

Testimony by Kojí Hosokawa, survivor of the atomic bomb

Towards the end of the war, on August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb dropped on the center of Hiroshima. It destroyed the entire city in an instant and took about 140,000 lives out of the 350,000 people in the city.

I was 17 years old at the time and was on the 4th floor of a building 1.3 km from the hypocenter when the bomb was dropped, but I miraculously survived. Of the dozens who were exposed in the same place, I am the only one who is still alive.

The next day, when I returned to my home in Miyajima, the evacuation destination, I learned that my 13-year-old younger sister who had been doing work as a mobilized student was only 700m away and died on August 6.

Even though they survived, many people suffered from keloids throughout their lives as well as from aftereffects and prejudice. I have always lived in fear of a recurrence of atomic bomb disease. I think everyone should realize that the atomic bombs were dropped, not on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but on all humanity.

War makes people crazy, and the ultimate craziness is the atomic bomb that negated human existence.

Although there is little time left for me, I believe that passing on the experience of Hiroshima to the next generation is the final mission assigned to us A-bomb survivors.

Read the source: https://zenit.org/articles/hiroshima-testimonies-of-atomic-bomb-survivors/

Pope Visits Atomic Bomb Hypocenter Park in Nagasaki

‘This place makes us deeply aware of the pain and horror that we human beings are capable of inflicting upon one another.’

NOVEMBER 24, 2019 15:12 BY JIM FAIR

“This place makes us deeply aware of the pain and horror that we human beings are capable of inflicting upon one another. The damaged cross and statue of Our Lady recently discovered in the Cathedral of Nagasaki remind us once more of the unspeakable horror suffered in the flesh by the victims of the bombing and their families.”

Pope Francis offered those words on the rainy morning of November 24, 2019, as he visited Atomic Bomb Hypocenter Park in Nagasaki, Japan. It was the first stop on his second day in Japan, a day of moving remembrances of the consequences of nuclear war, which the Pope is stressing during his apostolic journey.

At 11:02 on the morning of 9 August 1945, an atomic bomb exploded in Nagasaki, Japan. One-third of the city was destroyed and around 150,000 people were killed or injured. Many more died later from the effects of radioactive poisoning.

Today, a commemorative monument to peace marks the spot where the bomb fell.

ZENIT’s Senior Vatican Correspondent, Deborah Castellano Lubov, is covering the trip from the Papal Flight.

The Pope’s visit was moving. He was welcomed by the Governor and the Mayor of Nagasaki. Near the podium, two victims offered the Holy Father flowers he placed at the foot of the monument. The Pope lit a candle and after stopping in silent prayer in front of the monument he read his Message on Nuclear Weapons. There was a song and the Holy Father greeted his wife and son of photographer Joe O’Donnell, author of the symbolic image of the atomic explosion in Nagasaki.

“One of the deepest longings of the human heart is for security, peace, and stability,” the Pope said. “The possession of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction is not the answer to this desire; indeed they seem always to thwart it. Our world is marked by a perverse dichotomy that tries to defend and ensure stability and peace through a false sense of security sustained by a mentality of fear and mistrust, one that ends up poisoning relationships between peoples and obstructing any form of dialogue.

“Peace and international stability are incompatible with attempts to build upon the fear of mutual destruction or the threat of total annihilation. They can be achieved only on the basis of a global ethic of solidarity and cooperation in the service of a future shaped by interdependence and shared responsibility in the whole human family of today and tomorrow.”

Pope Francis: Message on Nuclear Weapons

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This place makes us deeply aware of the pain and horror that we human beings are capable of inflicting upon one another. The damaged cross and statue of Our Lady recently discovered in the Cathedral of Nagasaki remind us once more of the unspeakable horror suffered in the flesh by the victims of the bombing and their families.

One of the deepest longings of the human heart is for security, peace, and stability. The possession of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction is not the answer to this desire; indeed they seem always to thwart it. Our world is marked by a perverse dichotomy that tries to defend and ensure stability and peace through a false sense of security sustained by a mentality of fear and mistrust, one that ends up poisoning relationships between peoples and obstructing any form of dialogue.

Peace and international stability are incompatible with attempts to build upon the fear of mutual destruction or the threat of total annihilation. They can be achieved only on the basis of a global ethic of solidarity and cooperation in the service of a future shaped by interdependence and shared responsibility in the whole human family of today and tomorrow.

Here in this city which witnessed the catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences of a nuclear attack, our attempts to speak out against the arms race will never be enough. The arms race wastes precious resources that could be better used to benefit the integral development of peoples and to protect the natural environment. In a world where millions of children and families live in inhumane conditions, the money that is squandered and the fortunes made through the manufacture, upgrading, maintenance and sale of ever more destructive weapons, are an affront crying out to heaven.

A world of peace, free from nuclear weapons, is the aspiration of millions of men and women everywhere. To make this ideal a reality calls for involvement on the part of all: individuals, religious communities and civil society, countries that possess nuclear weapons and those that do not, the military and private sectors, and international organizations. Our response to the threat of nuclear weapons must be joint and concerted, inspired by the arduous yet constant effort to build mutual trust and thus surmount the current climate of distrust. In 1963, Saint John XXIII, writing in his Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris, in addition to urging the prohibition of atomic weapons (cf. No. 112), stated that authentic and lasting international peace cannot rest on a balance of military power, but only upon mutual trust (cf. No. 113).

There is a need to break down the climate of distrust that risks leading to a dismantling of the international arms control framework. We are witnessing an erosion of multilateralism which is all the more serious in light of the growth of new forms of military technology. Such an approach seems highly incongruous in today’s context of interconnectedness; it represents a situation that urgently calls for the attention and commitment of all leaders.

For her part, the Catholic Church is irrevocably committed to promoting peace between peoples and nations. This is a duty to which the Church feels bound before God and every man and woman in our world. We must never grow weary of working to support the principal international legal instruments of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, including the Treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons. Last July, the bishops of Japan launched an appeal for the abolition of nuclear arms, and each August the Church in Japan holds a ten-day prayer meeting for peace. May prayer, tireless work in support of agreements and insistence on dialogue be the most powerful “weapons” in which we put our trust and the inspiration of our efforts to build a world of justice and solidarity that can offer an authentic assurance of peace.

Convinced as I am that a world without nuclear weapons is possible and necessary, I ask political leaders not to forget that these weapons cannot protect us from current threats to national and international security. We need to ponder the catastrophic impact of their deployment, especially from a humanitarian and environmental standpoint and reject heightening a climate of fear, mistrust, and hostility fomented by nuclear doctrines. The current state of our planet requires a serious reflection on how its resources can be employed in light of the complex and difficult implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in order to achieve the goal of an integrated human development. Saint Paul VI suggested as much in 1964, when he proposed the establishment of a Global Fund to assist those most impoverished peoples, drawn partially from military expenditures (cf. Declaration to Journalists, 4 December 1964; Populorum Progressio, 51).

All of this necessarily calls for the creation of tools for ensuring trust and reciprocal development and counts on leaders capable of rising to these occasions. It is a task that concerns and challenges every one of us. No one can be indifferent to the pain of millions of men and women whose sufferings trouble our consciences today. No one can turn a deaf ear to the plea of our brothers and sisters in need. No one can turn a blind eye to the ruin caused by a culture incapable of dialogue. I ask you to join in praying each day for the conversion of hearts and for the triumph of a culture of life, reconciliation, and fraternity. A fraternity that can recognize and respect diversity in the quest for a common destiny.

I know that some here are not Catholics, but I am certain that we can all make our own the prayer for peace attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

In this striking place of remembrance that stirs us from our indifference, it is all the more meaningful that we turn to God with trust, asking him to teach us to be effective instruments of peace and to make every effort not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

May you and your families, and this entire nation, know the blessings of prosperity and social harmony!

[01857-EN.01] [Original text: Spanish]

Read the source: https://zenit.org/articles/pope-visits-atomic-bomb-hypocenter-park-in-nagasaki/

Pope Francis Honors Saint Paul Miki and Fellow Martyrs

‘Let us raise our voices so that religious freedom is guaranteed for everyone’

NOVEMBER 24, 2019 15:51 BY LARISSA I. LOPEZ

With regard to people who today suffer martyrdom for their faith, Pope Francis has asked: “Let us raise our voices so that religious freedom is guaranteed for everyone and in every corner of the city, planet and against all manipulation of religions ”.

On November 24, the Holy Father visited the hill Nishizaka, where the monument to St. Paul Miki and 25 other martyrs is located to preside over a tribute to them.

ZENIT’s Senior Vatican Correspondent, Deborah Castellano Lubov, is covering the trip from the Papal Flight.

St. Paul Miki was born in Kyoto 1556 in a wealthy family and is baptized. He attended a college of the Society of Jesus and at 22 he became a novice, thus becoming the first Japanese Catholic religious.

Expert of Eastern religiosity, he was commissioned to preach. Christianity had arrived in Japan in 1549, with St. Francis Xavier and Paul Miki lived fruitful years until, at the end of 1500, the shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi initiated a persecution against the Christians, ordering the expulsion of the priests.

Crucifixion

In December 1596 Paul Miki, along with some foreign missionaries and other Japanese Christians, were arrested in Osaka and forced to walk the road to Nagasaki on foot. This place was chosen for its execution due to the significant Christian presence in that city.

The trip, 800 km, lasted a month, and on February 5, 1597, Paul Miki and his companions were crucified on the hill Nishizaka. Before expiring, Paul urged everyone to follow the faith of Christ and forgive his comrades.

Martyrs Monument

The death of Paul and his companions marked, in fact, the beginning of a long period of two centuries of hard persecution in Japan.

All of them were beatified in 1627 and canonized in 1862. One hundred years later, on that same place, in 1962, a red-brick monument was erected that presents, set in a cross, the life-size bronze statues of the 26 martyrs.

Martyrs’ Shrine and Museum

Pope John Paul II visited as a pilgrim this Monument of the Martyrs of Nagasaki on February 26, 1981. Subsequently, this place, which overlooks the cathedral of Oura, also dedicated to the martyrs, was designated as a Japanese national sanctuary monument.

Behind the monument is the Martyrs Museum, which guards the history of Christianity in Nagasaki through a collection of everyday objects, such as a letter from St. Francis Xavier.

Tribute to the martyrs

Upon arrival, Francisco was welcomed by the director of the Martyrs Museum, by a priest and by a brother of the Society of Jesus. After an initial song, a family handed some flowers to the Pope, who deposited in front of the memorial.

The Bishop of Rome lit a candle offered to him by a descendant of the persecuted Christians and then began a moment of silent prayer in front of the Martyrs’ Monument and the relics have been censored.

Next, Pope Francis delivered a greeting and prayed the Angelus with those present.

Pope’s Gift

The Holy Father offered as a gift a floor lamp made especially for this visit of the Bishop of Rome to Japan. Cast in silver brass, measures 120 cm high. It consists of a base with three bands, with the symbol “PAX” in relief.

It also has a cylindrical stem with a knot that bears a medal with the coat of arms of Pope Francis. On the top, there is a wax shield with three candles that hold the lamp.

Francisco’s words

In his words, Pope Francis has indicated that he was “looking forward” to this moment and that he was going “as a pilgrim to pray, to confirm, and also to be confirmed by the faith of these brothers, who with their testimony and dedication point us to the path”.

In this way, he referred to the deaths of Pablo Miki and the 25 martyrs in 1597, “who consecrated this field with their suffering and death.” However, for the Pontiff, this place “more than death, tells us about the triumph of life” because, as John Paul II considered this hill is a “ Mount of Beatitudes , where we can touch the testimony of men invaded by the Holy Spirit, free from selfishness, comfort and pride (cf. Exhort. Ap. Gaudete et exsultate , 65) ”.

Missionary Discipleship

“His testimony confirms us in faith and helps to renew our dedication and our commitment, to live the missionary discipleship who knows how to work for a culture, capable of always protecting and defending all life, through that ‘martyrdom’ of daily service and silent of all, especially towards the most needy, ”said Francisco.

He also remarked that in this place we also join Christians who today live martyrdom for the sake of faith: “Martyrs of the 21st century who question us with their testimony that we bravely take the path of the Beatitudes. Let us pray for them and with them

The Holy Father’s full commentary, provided by the Vatican:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Good morning!

I have very much looked forward to this moment. I have come here as a pilgrim to pray, to confirm you in the faith, and to be confirmed by the faith of these brothers and sisters who by their witness and devotion light up our path. I thank all of you for your warm welcome.

This shrine bears the images and names of Christians who were martyred long ago, starting with Paul Miki and his companions on 5 February 1597, and a host of other martyrs who consecrated this ground by their suffering and their death.

However, this shrine does more than speak of death; it also speaks of the triumph of life over death. Saint John Paul II saw this place not simply as the mount of the martyrs but a true Mount of the Beatitudes, where our hearts can be stirred by the witness of men and women filled with the Holy Spirit and set free from selfishness, complacency and pride (cf. Gaudete et Exsultate, 65). For here the light of the Gospel shone forth in the love that triumphed over persecution and the sword.

This shrine is above all a monument to Easter, for it proclaims that the last word – despite all evidence to the contrary – belongs not to death but to life. We are not destined for death but for the fullness of life. This was the message the martyrs proclaimed. Yes, here we see the darkness of death and martyrdom, but also the light of the resurrection, as the blood of the martyrs becomes the seed of the new life that Jesus wishes to bestow on us. Their witness confirms us in faith and helps us to renew our dedication and commitment to that missionary discipleship which strives to create a culture capable of protecting and defending all life through the daily “martyrdom” of silent service towards all, especially those in greatest need.

I have come to this monument of the martyrs to pay homage to these holy men and women. But I also come in humility, as one who himself, as a young Jesuit from “the ends of the earth”, found powerful inspiration in the story of the early missionaries and the Japanese martyrs. May we never forget their heroic sacrifice! May it not remain as a glorious relic of the past, to be kept and honored in a museum, but rather as a living memory, an inspiration for the works of the apostolate and a spur to renewed evangelization in this land. May the Church in the Japan of our own day, amid all its difficulties and signs of hope, feel called to hear anew each day the message proclaimed by Saint Paul Miki from the cross, and share with all men and women the joy and the beauty of the Gospel which is the way of truth and life (cf. Jn 14:6). May we free ourselves daily from whatever weighs us down and prevents us from walking in humility, freedom, parrhesia and charity.

Brothers and sisters, in this place we are united with those Christians throughout the world who, in our own day, suffer martyrdom for the faith. They are the martyrs of the twenty-first century and their witness summons us to set out with courage on the path of the Beatitudes. Let us pray with them and for them. Let us speak out and insist that religious freedom be guaranteed for everyone in every part of our world. Let us also condemn the manipulation of religions through “policies of extremism and division, by systems of unrestrained profit or by hateful ideological tendencies that manipulate the actions and the future of men and women” (Document on Human Fraternity, Abu Dhabi, 4 February 2019).

Let us ask Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs, Saint Paul Miki and all his companions, who throughout history have proclaimed by their lives the wonders of the Lord, to pray for your country and for the whole Church. May their witness awaken and sustain in all of us the joy of the mission.

Read the source: https://zenit.org/articles/pope-francis-honors-saint-paul-miki-and-fellow-martyrs/

Pope Calls for Renewal of Faith and Commitment

Pope’s First Public Mass in Japan – in Nagasaki’s Baseball Stadium

NOVEMBER 24, 2019 16:27 BY JIM FAIR

Pope Francis celebrated Mass on the Solemnity of Christ the King in a baseball stadium in Nagasaki, Japan. It was a unique — and joyful — event.

It also was the Holy Father’s first public Mass in Japan, during his November 23-25, 2019, apostolic visit. He cited the examples of the good thief crucified beside Christ and St. Paul Miki, the great martyr of Japan.

ZENIT’s Senior Vatican Correspondent, Deborah Castellano Lubov, is covering the trip from the Papal Flight.

“Today, in this place, we want to renew our faith and our commitment,’ the Pope said. “We know too well the history of our failures, sins, and limitations, even as the good thief did, but we do not want them to be what determines or defines our present and future.

“On this last Sunday of the liturgical year, we join our voices to that of the criminal crucified beside Jesus, who acknowledged and acclaimed him a king. Amid cries of ridicule and humiliation, at the least triumphal and glorious moment possible, that thief was able to speak up and make his profession of faith…The chequered history of the thief seems, in an instant, to take on new meaning: he was meant to be there to accompany the Lord’s suffering. And that moment does nothing more than confirm the entire meaning of Jesus’ life: always and everywhere to offer salvation.”

The Holy Father also spoke of St. Paul Miki and his fellow martyrs. Earlier in the day, Francis visited the shrine in Nagasaki that honors their memory.

“Saint Paul Miki and his companions gave their lives in courageous witness to that salvation and certainty, along with the hundreds of martyrs whose witness is a distinguished element of your spiritual heritage,” the Pope told the huge congregation. “We want to follow in their path, to walk in their footsteps and to profess courageously that the love poured out in sacrifice for us by Christ crucified is capable of overcoming all manner of hatred, selfishness, mockery, and evasion.”

The Holy Father complete homily, provided by the Vatican:

“Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingly power” (Lk 23:42).

On this last Sunday of the liturgical year, we join our voices to that of the criminal crucified beside Jesus, who acknowledged and acclaimed him a king. Amid cries of ridicule and humiliation, at the least triumphal and glorious moment possible, that thief was able to speak up and make his profession of faith. His were the last words Jesus heard, and Jesus’ own words in reply were the last he spoke before abandoning himself to the Father: “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Lk 23:43).

The chequered history of the thief seems, in an instant, to take on new meaning: he was meant to be there to accompany the Lord’s suffering. And that moment does nothing more than confirm the entire meaning of Jesus’ life: always and everywhere to offer salvation. The attitude of the good thief makes the horror and injustice of Calvary – where helplessness and incomprehension are met with jeers and mockery from those indifferent to the death of an innocent man – become a message of hope for all humanity. “Save yourself!” The shouts of scornful derision addressed to the innocent victim of suffering will not be the last word; rather, they will awaken a response from those who let their hearts be touched, who choose compassion as the authentic way to shape history.

Today, in this place, we want to renew our faith and our commitment. We know too well the history of our failures, sins, and limitations, even as the good thief did, but we do not want them to be what determines or defines our present and future. We know how readily all of us can take the easy route of shouting out: “Save yourself!” and choose not to think about our responsibility to alleviate the suffering of innocent people all around us. This land has experienced, as few countries have, the destructive power of which we humans are capable. Like the good thief, we want to speak up and profess our faith, to defend and assist the Lord, the innocent man of sorrows. We want to accompany him in his ordeal, to stand by him in his isolation and abandonment, and to hear once more that salvation is the word the Father desires to speak to all: “Today you will be with me in Paradise”.

Saint Paul Miki and his companions gave their lives in courageous witness to that salvation and certainty, along with the hundreds of martyrs whose witness is a distinguished element of your spiritual heritage. We want to follow in their path, to walk in their footsteps and to profess courageously that the love poured out in sacrifice for us by Christ crucified is capable of overcoming all manner of hatred, selfishness, mockery, and evasion. It is capable of defeating all those forms of facile pessimism or comfortable indolence that paralyze good actions and decisions. As the Second Vatican Council reminds us, they are sadly mistaken who believe that, because we have here no lasting city and keep our gaze fixed on the future, we can ignore our responsibility for the world in which we live. They fail to see that the very faith we profess obliges us to live and work in a way that points to the noble vocation to which we have been called (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 43).

Our faith is in the God of the living. Christ is alive and at work in our midst, leading all of us to the fullness of life. He is alive and wants us to be alive; he is our hope (cf. Christus Vivit, 1). Each day we pray: Lord, may your kingdom come. With these words, we want our own lives and actions to become a hymn of praise. If, as missionary disciples, our mission is to be witnesses and heralds of things to come, we cannot become resigned in the face of evil in any of its forms. Rather, we are called to be a leaven of Christ’s Kingdom wherever we find ourselves: in the family, at work or in society at large. We are to be a little opening through which the Spirit continues to breathe hope among peoples. The kingdom of heaven is our common goal, a goal that cannot be only about tomorrow. We have to implore it and begin to experience it today, amid the indifference that so often surrounds and silences the sick and disabled, the elderly and the abandoned, refugees and immigrant workers. All of them are a living sacrament of Christ our King (cf. Mt25:31-46). For “if we have truly started out anew from the contemplation of Christ, we must learn to see him especially in the faces of those with whom he himself wished to be identified” (John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte, 49).

On that day at Calvary, many voices remained silent; others jeered. Only the thief’s voice rose to the defense of the innocent victim of suffering. His was a brave profession of faith. Each of us has the same possibility: we can choose to remain silent, to jeer or to prophesy.

Dear brothers and sisters, Nagasaki bears in its soul a wound difficult to heal, a scar born of the incomprehensible suffering endured by so many innocent victims of wars past and those of the present, when a third World War is being waged piecemeal. Let us lift our voices here and pray together for all those who even now are suffering in their flesh from this sin that cries out to heaven. May more and more persons be like the good thief and choose not to remain silent and jeer, but bear prophetic witness instead to a kingdom of truth and justice, of holiness and grace, of love and peace (cf. Roman Missal, Preface of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe).

Read the source: https://zenit.org/articles/pope-calls-for-renewal-of-faith-and-commitment/

Archbishop Takami With Pope Francis – Copyright: Vatican Media

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Archbishop Takami of Nagasaki: The Martyrs’ Faith Shows Modern-day Japan Faith’s Importance’ (from Papal Flight)

President of Japanese Bishops Tells ZENIT How They Offer Courage for Japanese Today to Bear Witness Too

NOVEMBER 24, 2019 00:16 BY DEBORAH CASTELLANO LUBOV

“The martyrs’ witness to faith shows people in modern Japan faith’s importance and offers them the courage to bear witness to it…”

In an exclusive interview with Zenit whose Senior Vatican Correspondent, Deborah Castellano Lubov, is on the Papal Flight for Pope Francis’ Apostolic Trip to Japan and Thailand, Nov. 19-26, the Archbishop of Nagasaki, Joseph Takami Mitsuaki, who also is President of the Bishops’ Conference of Japan, made this statement.

The Archbishop of Nagasaki is following the trip very closely and as President of the Bishops’ Conference, addressed the Pope last night before Francis spoke to Japanese bishops in the Apostolic Nunciature after his arrival from Thailand. He will be intricately involved in the Pope’s visit to Nagasaki today, before the Pontiff’s next stop, in the same day, to Hiroshima.

Here is our wide-ranging, exclusive interview:

***

ZENIT: Your Excellency, the motto of Pope Francis’ Apostolic visit to Japan is “Protect All Life”. In your opinion, to what is this motto addressed and why is it necessary?

Archbishop Joseph Takami Mitsuaki: In general, I think Japanese people have a high respect for life. However, in modern Japanese society various problems are occurring. These include abortion, suicide, the death penalty system, domestic abuse, bullying at school and in the workplace, murder committed for selfish motives and environmental destruction.

In Japan, in 1948 a law known as the Eugenic Protection Law came into existence legalizing abortion, and in 1996 this law was revised and became the Maternity Protection Law. According to this law, if a pregnancy is before 21 weeks and 6 days then abortion is legally permitted when performed by a licensed doctor. In Japan, there were around 1.17 million abortions in 1955, around 600,000 in 1980, around 340,000 in the year 2000, and around 160,000 in 2017.

Regarding suicide, for many years there were about 30,000 suicides annually in Japan, but recently there has been a downward trend. However, it is said that suicides among young people in their teens and twenties are increasing.

In Japan, approximately 60% are in favor of continuing the death penalty, while a mere 9% are in favor of its abolishment.

The amount of domestic violence and abuse in Japan is also not negligible. There are cases where children have died as a result of parental abuse, though it is said that there are a higher number of cases of husbands acting violently towards their wives.

I think it is necessary for people to understand the dignity of life.

ZENIT: There is great anticipation for the Pope’s visits to Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the only cities where nuclear weapons have been used. What does a visit of the Pope mean to those places, how are the effects of the bombings still felt and how is faith witnessed to in Nagasaki?

Archbishop Joseph Takami Mitsuaki: Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the only cities where atomic bombs have been used during a war. To stress, from the ground where the atomic bombs fell, that these acts must never be repeated a second time, while highlighting the brutality of nuclear weapons and the physical and mental anguish they bring as well as the value of peace, is of deep significance.

There are still many atomic bomb survivors alive today, who in Japanese are known as hibakusha.

After a period of persecution lasting 250 years, local Catholics spent 30 years building a large church called Urakami Church, despite their extreme poverty. 20 years after its completion, however, this church was completed destroyed by the atomic bomb. Today, Catholics in Nagasaki pray for the realization of world peace and witness to their faith by engaging in peace activities.

ZENIT: What do you expect from the Pope’s visit to Nagasaki and Hiroshima?

Archbishop Joseph Takami Mitsuaki: I hope that from Nagasaki, which became the victim of the second atomic bombing, the Pope will advocate for the importance of nuclear abolition, specifically the signing and ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and appeal in particular to those countries which possess nuclear weapons.

ZENIT: When Pope John Paul II visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1981, it was still the era of the Cold War, with the concrete risk of nuclear war. In Asia today there are many countries that possess – or are striving to obtain – nuclear weapons. What reaction do you think the words and actions of the Pope will have in those countries?

Archbishop Joseph Takami Mitsuaki: I don’t know what response there will be to the Pope’s words and actions, but I would very much like to see some kind of positive or proactive response.

ZENIT: In Japan, the local Church suffered a long persecution in past centuries. What has that experience left the Japanese Church today?

Archbishop Joseph Takami Mitsuaki: It is said that in Japan, in cases where records exist alone there were least 5,000 Catholic martyrdoms. In 1862, the 26 Martyrs of Japan were canonized, and in 1867, 205 martyrs of Japan were beatified. At that time, Japan’s long ban on Christianity was still in force. The majority of the 205 martyrs just mentioned were martyred in Nagasaki. In 1987, a further 16 martyrs of Japan – among whom were Dominican priests – were canonized. Then, on 24^th November 2008, 188 martyrs of Japan were beatified inside Nagasaki Prefectural Baseball Stadium, where Pope Francis will say Mass while in Nagasaki. Among this group of martyrs were 3 Jesuit priests and 1 Augustinian priest, but the rest were lay Christians. Many families were among those martyred. In other words, these martyrs included many women and children. Finally, in 2017, the Japanese samurai Justo Takayama Ukon was beatified in Osaka as a martyr.

Across the Nagasaki Archdiocese there are a particularly high number of “martyrdom commemorations”, which are held annually in locations where Christians died for their faith and during which a Mass is said. These provide an opportunity for people to learn about the martyrs and make pilgrimages to the places where they died. The martyrs’ witness to faith shows people in modern Japan faith’s importance and offers them the courage to bear witness to it.

ZENIT: Please tell us about the parishes in your Archdiocese. On a typical Sunday, what would a visitor to one of these parishes see and how is the life of a typical parish?

Archbishop Joseph Takami Mitsuaki: In the Nagasaki Archdiocese, the average rate of attendance at Sunday Mass is around 30%. The number of visitors to churches belonging to the Archdiocese is increasing, particularly after 7 were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2018. Many of these visitors are moved at the sight of local Catholics devoutly praying. In the past, I think it was normal for people return home after Sunday Mass. However, beginning in 2001 the archdiocesan curia was reformed and pastoral councils at the level of parish, forane and archdiocese were established in the hope that these, as faith communities, would grow and develop. In 2015, on the 150^th anniversary of the “Discovery of Christians”, the first ever archdiocesan synod was held, where it was agreed to begin working towards the training of catechists, the establishment of “small Christian communities” (SSC) and the foundation of a charitable organization called “Nagasaki Misericordia”.

ZENIT: What is it like to be a Catholic Archbishop in a country where Catholics are in such a minority? Is there any hostility or indifference towards Catholics, and are there occasions where you have felt judged or discriminated against owing to your faith?

Archbishop Joseph Takami Mitsuaki: I have never experienced any discrimination from people who aren’t Christian. Rather, here in Nagasaki I serve as an advisor to an interreligious organization where, for the sake of peaceful coexistence, representatives from different religions come together to promote friendly relations. In addition, since I joined a local organization seeking to protect Article 9 of the Japanese constitution, I have received gracious acknowledgement from people engaged in peace activities that we as Catholics are also trying to do something to promote peace.

Some people in Japan, including in Nagasaki, regard Christianity as a foreign religion, and it seems that a higher number of Japanese than one might expect view monotheistic religions such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism as religions that cause problems. Sometimes, when a Catholic marries a non-Christian, the latter or the latter’s family will refuse to agree to a church wedding or do not wish any children resulting from that union to be baptized. In such cases, it is possible that some kind of prejudice towards Christianity exists in the background.

ZENIT: What do Japanese people in general know about Catholicism and do people still remember the visit of Pope John Paul II to Japan in 1981?

Archbishop Joseph Takami Mitsuaki: I think most Japanese people aren’t aware of what kind of religion Catholicism is. However, I think many people learn at school that the first person to introduce Christianity to Japan was Francis Xavier and that there is a distinction between Catholicism and Protestantism.

Many people vividly remember the visit of Pope John Paul II to Nagasaki in 1981, especially the Mass the Holy Father said in the snow. I also think that the “Appeal for Peace” which he gave in Hiroshima continues even today to touch the hearts of many Japanese people.

ZENIT: What message do you hope the Pope leaves Japanese society?

Archbishop Joseph Takami Mitsuaki: I hope that the Pope will leave us messages regarding the dignity of life, the importance of helping people who are suffering and distressed as opposed to the pursuit of financial gain or a luxurious lifestyle, the question of how – specifically – we can work towards conserving the environment and the question of how we can promote peace.

ZENIT: What does the Holy Father’s two-nation visit to Thailand and Japan mean for the whole of Asia?

Archbishop Joseph Takami Mitsuaki: It is said that the Philippines is the only Christian country in Asia. Christians are in a minority in all Asian countries. I don’t know anything about the reasons for the papal visit to Thailand, but perhaps the Pope is visiting Thailand and Japan because the number of Christians is low in these countries, and he wishes us to reflect upon the importance of the existence and role of the Church in Asia.

***

Simon Hull assisted with translation from Japanese

Read the source: https://zenit.org/articles/exclusive-interview-archbishop-takami-of-nagasaki-the-martyrs-faith-shows-modern-day-japan-faiths-importance-from-papal-flight/

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