Cardinal Cupich joined Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C.; Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle; and Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe on a trip to Japan Aug. 5-10 to observe the 80th anniversary of the U.S. dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.
Organized by the Partnership for a World Without Nuclear Weapons as part of the Jubilee of Hope, the delegation was accompanied by faculty, staff and students from U.S. Catholic universities, including Loyola University Chicago.
Cardinal Cupich was the main celebrant of a Mass at the World Peace Memorial Cathedral in Hiroshima on the feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord on Aug. 6, the anniversary of the bombing in that city. (Read full homily at tinyurl.com/2s4dutkb.)
At the Transfiguration, the Lord’s light shines through Jesus on Mount Tabor and he is transformed, Cardinal Cupich said. The world was transformed by a different light on the feast of the Transfiguration in 1945, he said.
“The bomb itself is an ominous marker of the destructive power that arises when the human family is divided,” he told those gathered for Mass. “Physicists tell us that the blast occurs when a neutron divides the nucleus of an atom, releasing a tremendous amount of energy and then more neutrons which trigger a rapid and uncontrolled chain reaction, leading to the explosion. The same is true when we sow division, stoking impulses of anger, resentment, bigotry. These unchecked emotions spiral out of control, creating a destructive chain reaction that blinds us to the vision God has always wanted for us.”
Referencing Pope Francis’ remarks during his visit to Hiroshima in 2019, Cardinal Cupich said the world must never forget what took place there 80 years before.
“On this day, 80 years ago, the world witnessed the alarming misuse of human ingenuity that brought about inconceivable destruction,” the cardinal said. “So this morning, we are called to sustain and make our own the vision God has always had for us. We do that by remembering our stories and praying for all those who perished and suffered on that tragic day. We do that by taking up the journey together, and by tapping into the deep resources of human ingenuity, this time to protect one another by creating new paths towards a lasting peace.”
That same day, Cardinal Cupich was a signer on a joint statement released on behalf of U.S., Japanese and Korean bishops to mark the anniversary of the bombings. Signers of the statement expressed their concern over current threats to world peace.
“We, who are committed to carrying on the dedication of atomic bomb survivors, recognize that the destructive power of nuclear weapons threatens the survival of humanity. We strongly press on the urgent need for the international community to build nonviolence, anchored in dialogue and cooperation, as the foundation of our zealous pursuit of peace and solidarity,” the statement said.
“On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings and the end of World War II, we strongly condemn all wars and conflicts, the use and possession of nuclear weapons, and the threat to use nuclear weapons. We refuse to accept persistent justifications for atomic bombings as a means of ending war.”
In remarks during the Interreligious Symposium of Nuclear Issues and World Peace in Nagasaki on Aug. 7, Cardinal Cupich called the U.S. decision to use the atomic bombs “deeply flawed.” (Read full remarks at tinyurl.com/awx4yky8)
Many Americans’ support for President Henry Truman’s decision to drop the bombs has since declined, he said.
“The passage of time since the events — the death of war veterans and the generations most affected by World War II, as well as the emotional distance from the horrors of the war — all help to explain the decline in support for use of the bombs,” the cardinal said. “And, of course, the growth of friendship between Japan and the United States since the war’s end has dramatically influenced the way that we see in each other people like ourselves.
“And yet, I note with regret, the same essay that reported the decline in Americans’ support of the first use of atomic weapons in war, also revealed there remains a willingness among a majority of American citizens to use nuclear weapons against a contemporary threat to the U.S. military.”
The “just war” tradition is still relevant today and must continue to guide decisions related to military conflict, Cardinal Cupich told attendees.
“As the only nation that has used nuclear weapons in war, and as the nation with a nuclear arsenal that dwarfs that of all others besides Russia, I believe the United States has a special obligation to lead the human family in a different direction,” he said. “The U.S. must seek to build an international order that rests upon a non-nuclear foundation.”
Cardinal Cupich also called on Russia and the United States to make nuclear arms reduction a priority.
“Together they have more than 10,500 of the roughly 12,300 nuclear warheads on earth,” he said. “It is time for people around the world to call for leadership from the two nations with arsenals that threaten the continued sustainability of life on our planet.
In the end, every person has a part to play in promoting peace, the cardinal concluded.
“We as citizens must live up to our role, especially those of us fortunate to live in democracies where public speech and action is protected and encouraged,” Cardinal Cupich said. “May the United States, along with Japan and other allies, heed the call of Pope Leo: ‘We must try at all costs to avoid the use of weapons and seek dialogue through diplomatic means. Let us work together to find solutions.’”