Japan: Bell rings for first time in 80 years in Nagasaki

Urakami Cathedral Image: Diocese of Nagasaki

At 11.04 yesterday morning, a bell rang for the first time in 80 years, at Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki.

The church was at the epicentre of the atomic bomb blast that destroyed the city on 9 August 1945. A Mass had been about to begin. The congregation and priest were instantly killed - along with up to 15,000 Catholics who lived near the church. The cathedral was destroyed. Altogether over 70,000 were killed in the devastating attack.

When the church was rebuilt, the bell tower remained empty. Recently several American Catholics raised funds to rebuild that bell and donated it to the Cathedral.

The bell was rung at exactly the same time that the atomic bomb exploded in the sky of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.

Nagasaki Archbishop Peter Michiaki Nakamura, told Fides the ringing was "a reminder of the victims and a call for peace. The fact that the bell destroyed by an atomic bomb manufactured and dropped by the United States was rebuilt and donated by American citizens, and welcomed by the Church of Urakami, represents a concrete sign of forgiveness, reconciliation, and hope." He said this "bears witness to the possibility of walking together toward the realisation of peace in the world."

"I hope that, every time that bell rings, people will remember these events and can commit themselves, with hope, to building peace." 2025, indeed, is "the year of hope."

"2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the war and the atomic attack, and it is an opportunity to reflect once again on the importance of preventing the outbreak of war, of praying for an end to the conflicts currently raging around the globe, and of promoting not only the abolition of the use of nuclear weapons, but also their production and possession."

"Many people think war is wrong," the Archbishop said, "but at the same time, if Japan were attacked by a foreign power, many would believe that responding with war is inevitable. For this reason, it is crucial to begin now to build bonds of cooperation and mutual understanding, so that war never has the slightest chance of breaking out."

With this in mind, the Diocese of Nagasaki, together with the Diocese of Hiroshima, has begun a collaboration with the Dioceses of Seattle and Santa Fe in the United States, with the shared goal of a nuclear-free world. "I think it is very important to foster this kind of relationship and connection with others," Nakamura said.

The Japanese Bishops' Conference recently published a document on peace to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the atomic bomb. The document posed a question: "The horror and evil of war are evident to many, but we must learn from the experience of 80 years ago and remember that the ideas and values conveyed in everyday life changed public opinion and fostered conflict. "Is Japan truly on the path to peace today?"

For the Archbishop of Nagasaki, "considering the expansion of arms and the current educational system in Japan, it is difficult to affirm that the country is truly on the path to peace. Japanese society is also highly competitive, often dominated by the pursuit of profit and a marked materialism. In such a society, there is a risk of wars based on fighting and conquest."

The question posed by the Japanese bishops in the document stems from the recent deployment of missile systems in Okinawa and the Nansei Islands for defensive purposes. "Even in the Kyushu region, military bases are being strengthened for defensive purposes," the Archbishop specifies. When asked how young people are reacting to this military buildup, he asserts that "many young people, not only Catholics, lack a true understanding of how tragic and inhuman war is. Although peace education is taught in schools, it is mainly theoretical or purely factual. It was recently revealed that the Ministry of Defence has sent pamphlets to schools that explain in an accessible way the "necessity and legitimacy of defence."

For the Archbishop, the Church "must ensure that school education does not inadvertently become biased and geared toward preparing for war, promoting the erroneous idea that peace can be achieved through military force." In this context, Nakamura noted that "the Church has a duty to witness to love, forgiveness, and self-giving to others, not only with words, but through a concrete lifestyle."

During World War II, the Archbishop recalls, "Japan also committed cruel and despicable acts against other countries. However, at that time, in the face of these horrors, the Japanese Catholic Church was unable to express firm opposition or protest. One reason is probably that, during the war, Christians were called 'yaso' (a derogatory term for Christians, ed.) and discriminated against as 'unpatriotic.' Anyone who opposed the conflict, even non-Christians, was labeled as such. Despite this, I believe that, even at the risk of persecution, they lacked the courage and strength to cry out for peace."

"Today, however, the Episcopal Conference can and must spread messages of peace. And, of course, pray for peace. Following the visit of two Popes to Japan, the Japanese people have more deeply understood the important role of the Church in promoting peace. Sustained by the message and commitment of the Successor of Peter, the Church in Japan, a nation struck by atomic bombs, believes it can increasingly fulfill its duty as a messenger of peace."

In the latest episode of All Kinds of Catholic, Theresa Allesandro speaks with Jim, who is an American professor and a Catholic, who tells the extraordinary story of uncovering his grandfather's connection to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This research took Jim to Nagasaki, 'the centre of Catholicism in Japan for centuries.' An awkward question from a Japanese Catholic there - a descendant of the 'hidden Christians' and whose father was a victim of the bomb - led to a beautiful project to restore 'the sound of the two bells ringing together' from the cathedral in Nagasaki, for the first time in 80 years. Jim says, 'It's really inspired a lot of people in terms of hope and peace and reconciliation.'

Listen here: www.buzzsprout.com/2333035/episodes/17489825