December 25, 2019

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (CBCJ) recently released a statement addressed to Prime Minister Abe Shinzo which calls on the Japanese government to sign and ratify the UN treaty banning nuclear weapons.

The statement was issued in the name of Takami Mitsuaki, Archbishop of Nagasaki and Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan President, and was published on December 23 on the CBCJ official web page.

The statement, which was written following Pope Francis’ visit to Japan in November, pointed out that the pontiff in his speeches in Hiroshima and Nagasaki dispatched a message calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons by saying that “these weapons cannot protect us from current threats to national and international security.”

In the statement, the Bishops’ Conference said that in order to realize a peaceful world free from nuclear weapons, the CBCJ supports various international legal instruments regarding nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, including the antinuke UN treaty.

Furthermore, the statement pointed out that not only Hibakusha but also many people inside and outside Japan are expecting that as the only A-bombed nation in the world, Japan will take a leadership role in the international community in terms of efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons. The statement demanded that the Japanese government sign and ratify the UN treaty to meet public expectations.

Past related article:
> Hibakusha welcome Pope’s speech on nuclear-free world [November 25, 2019]