Japan's Catholic bishops want nuclear power abolished

Motivated by the devastating Fukushima accident of March 2011, the bishops of Japan have produced an English version of their book warning the world about the dangers of nuclear power. It is available on the website of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan.

In 'Abolition of Nuclear Power: An Appeal from the Catholic Church in Japan' the bishops believe that Japan has a responsibility to inform the world of the reality of the fallout if there is an accident and they put the case for safer energy and energy conservation. They worked with researchers in various fields to explore the damage caused by the Fukushima accident, the technical and sociological limitations of nuclear power production, and ethical and theological considerations concerning it.

The book opens with:

'The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant triggered by the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake contaminated the ocean and land by radiation, and tragically disrupted the daily life of an enormous number of people. Even now, almost 100,000 people are evacuated from the neighbouring area of the nuclear plant, and numerous people are forced to live in fear and anxiety.'

The bishops hope that their proposed elimination of nuclear power generation will be discussed as part of engagement with Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si', which has called for reconciliation with creation.

Many Catholic bishops' conferences around the world have also rejected nuclear power, including Korea, Philippines, India, Germany, and Canada.

Read the full document at: www.cbcj.catholic.jp/2020/07/08/20963/