Vatican, world recalls Hiroshima nuclear tragedy

(August 06, 2012) A leading Vatican official on Sunday commended the people of Japan for transforming the horror of the bombing of Hiroshima 67 years ago into a symbol of trust and hope for a better world. Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, the Vice-Camerlengo or chamberlain of the Papal Household made the remark during a Mass he celebrated on the eve of the Hiroshima anniversary at the city’s cathedral. On Aug. 6, 1945, the United Sates dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima that destroyed most of the city and killed as many as 140,000 people. A second atomic bomb was unleashed on Aug. 9 on Nagasaki killing tens of thousands more and prompted Japan to surrender to the World War II Allies. “With your courage and strong determination, you have transformed that profoundly dark page of human history into a luminous reference point of trust and hope for a better world,” Archbishop Celata said at Mass. He noted that the temptation to egoism, tyranny, supremacy and hoarding, often by deception, violence and war lurks in every heart and among peoples. He thus called on all to overcome the temptation to close in on oneself against others, recognizing all as members of the one human family with a common destiny. “Hence we are called to accept and respect one another in the sacredness of life, in matters of conscience, particularly in religious matters and in the dignity of every person,” he said. Archbishop Celata urged all unite their spiritual and material energies to collaborate with trust and hope to build a more just society based on solidarity, where all can live in peace and harmony.
Meanwhile, Japan marked the 67th anniversary of the world's first atomic bomb attack with a ceremony on Monday that was attended by a grandson of Harry Truman, the U.S. president who ordered the bomb dropped on the city of Hiroshima. About 50,000 people gathered in Hiroshima's peace park near the epicenter of the 1945 blast that destroyed most of the city and killed as many as 140,000 people. A second atomic bombing Aug. 9 that year in Nagasaki killed tens of thousands more and prompted Japan to surrender to the World War II Allies. The ceremony, attended by representatives of about 70 countries, began with the ringing of a temple bell and a moment of silence. Flowers were placed before Hiroshima's eternal flame, which is the park's centerpiece. Truman's grandson, Clifton Truman Daniel, and the grandson of a radar operator who was on both of the planes that dropped the atomic bombs, joined in the memorial. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said Japan must take a bolder role in leading global disarmament efforts and called on world leaders to come to his city to ``contemplate peace.'' He also said the nuclear accident at Fukushima last year has shown the dangers of nuclear technology, even for peaceful purposes, and urged the government to create a mix of energy sources for Japan that is safe and secure. ``I firmly believe that the demand for freedom from nuclear weapons will soon spread out from Hiroshima, encircle the globe, and lead us to genuine world peace,'' he said. Matsui noted that the average survivor of the bombing is now 78 years old, and said the city is increasing its effort to provide them with health care and chronicle their experiences so the events of that day are remembered. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Japan must pass the experience on to future generations so that the lessons of Hiroshima are not forgotten.
In a message to the Hiroshima ceremony, United Nations Secretary-general Ban Ki Moon urged that there ‘never be another nuclear attack’. He said that “the elimination of such weapons is not just a visionary goal,” adding “Such weapons have no legitimate place in our world.” “Their elimination is both morally right and a practical necessity in protecting humanity,” he added. The UN chief also sent another message for the Nagasaki commemoration.