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Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki

  • Ann Farr

'The fruits of war.' Pope Francis prayer card for World Day of Prayer for Peace 2017. Photo by Joseph Roger O'Donnell, shows young Japanese boy waiting at crematorium with his dead younger brother on his back. Source: Vatican Media

'The fruits of war.' Pope Francis prayer card for World Day of Prayer for Peace 2017. Photo by Joseph Roger O'Donnell, shows young Japanese boy waiting at crematorium with his dead younger brother on his back. Source: Vatican Media

Pax Christi members will be joining peace activists around the world to remember the 76th anniversary of the dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the 6th and 9th August 1945. Up to 226,000 people were killed instantly in the blasts. By 1950 more than 340,000 people had died as a result and generations were poisoned by radiation. Many survivors of the initial blast burned to death, while cancers caused by the radiation affected countless others and their children, causing years of misery. Homes, schools and livelihoods were destroyed and communities ruined.

If these bombs were detonated today, they would have such an impact on the climate that survivors would be facing devastating famine. But on 16 March 2021 the Prime Minister announced that the UK's nuclear warhead stockpile would increase by more than 40 per cent - meaning the stockpile could be as high as 260 warheads by the middle of the 2020s. Each one of those warheads is around eight times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Japan in 1945. They have the capacity to kill millions of innocent people and generate catastrophic consequences for God's creation.

As a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the UK is legally obliged to negotiate the reduction of their nuclear arsenals towards their eventual abolition, as set out in Article 6. The decision to expand the warhead stockpile represents a clear breach of the NPT. In addition there is a risk that it could ignite an arms race between states with similar sized nuclear arsenals.

Pax Christi is working with Christian CND and other peace groups to oppose this decision and we continue to call for the elimination of nuclear weapons in the UK and around the world.

Pope Francis asks for 'peace for this world, subjected to arms dealers, who profit from the blood of men and women'. He tells us that, 'the threat of nuclear weapons as well as their very possession, is to be firmly condemned ... they exist in the service of the mentality of fear ... and nuclear deterrence cannot be the basis for an ethics of solidarity and peaceful coexistence among peoples and states.' In this time of global crisis, he reminds us that, 'spending on nuclear weapons squanders the wealth of nations. Nations would be better invested in education, health and the fight against extreme poverty'.

ACTIONS

Please let us know of any events involving Pax Christi members and send us photographs afterwards to: info@paxchristi.org.uk

Pray for a world free of nuclear weapons https://christiancnd.org.uk/prayer-diary/

Encourage your town or city to support the ICAN Cities appeal to support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons https://cities.icanw.org/

The Ursuline Sisters UK have created a campaign to urge the UK Government to rethink their stance on nuclear weapons and sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted on 7 July 2017 and entered into force on 22nd January 2021. However, none of the nine nuclear weapon states have signed or ratified the treaty, including the UK.

We ask everyone to sign this petition: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/nuclear-treaty-ban

Sign a petition to report the UK to the UN for breaking international law: https://cnduk.org/report-the-uk-to-the-un/

Check with your Diocesan Finance group about any possible funding of nuclear arms companies.

Contact your Councillors to get your local Council Pension Fund to divest from Nuclear Weapons www.icanw.org/divestment_and_nuclear_weapons

EVENTS

August 6th Hiroshima Day

ICAN, 8.05am-8.30am, Live streaming from Hiroshima for the moment of silence on ICAN's Instagram @nuclearban www.instagram.com/nuclearban/

At 8.15am on August 6, 1945, a single atomic bomb indiscriminately killed tens of thousands of people, profoundly disrupting and altering the lives of the survivors. Every year, the Peace Memorial Ceremony is held to remember the victims and ensure not to repeat the evil. Although it is just short, Peace Boat will share with you live the atmosphere of Hiroshima and feeling of the Hibakusha on that very morning.

Abingdon, 7.45-8.15am at the War Memorial in the centre of town.

Abingdon, Didcot and Oxford, 6.30pm, to remember the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and reflect on the ongoing danger posed by nuclear weapons in a quiet ceremony beside Ladygrove Lake. Please join us as we gather at the North West corner of the (larger) lake. You may like to share a reading or a poem, a prayer or some thoughts. We will also invite participants each to float a single flower on the lake to honour the lives lost.

Didcot to Oxford Peace Walk, to physically link the events of 6th and 9th August some of us also plan to undertake a Peace Walk from Didcot to Oxford along the Thames Path during Sunday 8th and Monday 9th August. Along the way we will give out leaflets and speak to people we meet. We will join Abingdon Peace Group's picnic in the Abbey Meadow by the Thames on Sunday around 3.30pm or 4pm and on Monday we hope to finish by 2pm in Bonn Square, to join the Oxford event. Details: 07999 090484 longmarch@riseup.net

Chester, 8pm Hiroshima and Nagasaki Flower Memorial at The Groves. Annual event to remember those who died and suffered as a result of the atomic bombs dropped in 1945, and in the firm belief that it must never happen again. All are welcome to meet at the Bandstand for readings, a period of quiet reflection, and the dropping of flowers on the river. Please bring white flowers if you wish.

Coventry 5.30 for 6pm Annual commemoration in Coventry Cathedral and the Chapel of Unity. The service will be led by Manjit Kaur, member of Gurdwara Guru Nanak Paskash, with Tom Unterrainer Vice-Chair of Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and attended by Japanese representatives. Students from Cardinal Newman Catholic School will read the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl affected by the Hiroshima bomb. Also streamed on https://tiny.cc/cathfacebook (no Facebook account required)

Liverpool 10.45am, organised by Merseyside CND at The Peace Garden , St Johns Gardens Liverpool city Centre. Wreath of white poppies will be laid by the Lord Mayor.

Llandudno 2-4pm, The Conwy County Peace Group are planning an anti-nuclear weapon and peace vigil in Mostyn Street, outside closed M&S men's store, right of St John's Methodist Church. Leaflet table, banners and posters.

London, 11am-1pm, Pax Christi England and Wales will be outside Westminster Cathedral for a vigil to commemorate the bombing of Hiroshima. All are welcome.

Maldon, Essex 7pm Hiroshima Service; Venue: Quaker Meeting House; Butt Lane; Maldon; Essex CM9 5HD Organised by Essex CCND contact: Geraldine Ellis Tel: 01708 762840

International online The Anglican Pacifist Fellowship will be holding an online vigil to commemorate Hiroshima Day. The event is open to anyone to join. This year the reflection is from The Rt Rev Paul Bayes, Bishop of Liverpool. We shall also be remembering the first atomic tests in the Pacific which started 75 years ago. Time: Aug 6, 2021 8pm London; 9pm Geneva; 4pm Atlantic Time; 3pm New York; 7pm New Zealand (7 August). For the Zoom link email: chair@anglicanpeacemaker.org.uk

August 9th Nagasaki Day

Abingdon, Didcot and Oxford, 2pm, Commemoration in Bonn Square, Oxford, in a simple event organised by Oxford CND and supported by Oxford Seagreen Singers.

Coventry, Pax Christi Cove.ntry, 11.45am- 1pm, Silent Vigil, on the steps of Coventry Cathedral Ruins.

Liverpool, 1pm, stall at the Anglican Cathedral to coincide with the Peace Doves exhibition inside - see below.

London, Pax Christi England and Wales will be outside Westminster Cathedral from 11am to 1pm for a vigil to commemorate the bombing of Nagasaki. All are welcome to join us for the vigil.

Online at 6.30pm Pax Christi England and Wales will hold its annual service commemorating the life and witness of Franz Jägerstätter on the anniversary of his execution. Students from Britain and Austria have prepared the reflection. All welcome. Register here for the zoom link to join the meeting: https://tinyurl.com/9wt527j2

London, 7.30pm, Following the service, the annual peace walk will set off from outside Westminster Cathedral, to Battersea Park, for the Nagasaki Day ceremony led by Buddhist monks at the Peace Pagoda (scaled down this year to comply with Park regulations).

August 12

On 12 August, Pax Christi Liverpool will hold their 3rd vigil in support of TPNW at 12-1pm at Anglican Cathedral. The focus will be on Hiroshima / Nagasaki.

Throughout August, Liverpool Cathedral is hosting an art project and large-scale installation of paper doves, until the end of August . The paper doves have messages of peace, love and hope on them written by people from the local community, schools and visitors. The artwork has been curated by sculptor and artist Peter Walker, with a soundtrack called 'Ruah Qadeska' by David Harper. www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk/home/visiting-us/a-great-place-to-visit.aspx

For more resources or ideas on how to commemorate this day, visit our webpage: Hiroshima and Nagasaki https://paxchristi.org.uk/hiroshima-and-nagasaki/

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