Pope Leo XIV Honors Victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Urges World to Embrace “Unarmed Peace”

On the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Pope Leo XIV issued a solemn message calling for a renewed global commitment to peace, disarmament, and human dignity.

Addressing his message to Bishop Alexis M. Shirahama of Hiroshima and all those commemorating the tragic events of August 1945, the Holy Father extended his “cordial greetings” and offered special respect and affection for the hibakusha, the survivors of the atomic bombings, whose suffering continues to echo as a powerful reminder of the horrors of nuclear warfare.

“Though many years have passed, the two cities remain living reminders of the profound horrors wrought by nuclear weapons,” the Pope wrote. “Their streets, schools and homes still bear scars, both visible and spiritual, from that fateful August of 1945.”

Quoting his predecessor, Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed the Church’s consistent teaching on war: “War is always a defeat for humanity.”

He also recalled the words of Dr. Takashi Nagai, a Nagasaki survivor and Catholic doctor, who once said, “The person of love is the person of ‘bravery’ who does not bear arms.” 

The Pope emphasized that “true peace demands the courageous laying down of weapons, especially those with the power to cause an indescribable catastrophe.”

Describing nuclear arms as an offense against shared humanity and creation itself, Pope Leo XIV condemned reliance on military power as a false foundation for security. “Hiroshima and Nagasaki stand as ‘symbols of memory’ that urge us to reject the illusion of security founded on mutually assured destruction,” he stressed.

Instead, the Pope called on world leaders and the international community to “forge a global ethic rooted in justice, fraternity and the common good.”

As the world marks this solemn milestone, Pope Leo XIV expressed his hope that it would serve as “a call to the international community to renew its commitment to pursuing lasting peace for our whole human family, a peace that is unarmed and disarming,” referencing his first Apostolic Blessing Urbi et Orbi on May 8, 2025.

Concluding his message, the Holy Father invoked divine blessings upon all who commemorate the anniversary of the bombings, praying for a future free from the shadow of nuclear weapons and war.