Hiroshima and Nagasaki: A Call to Peace and Mission
This week marks 80 years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki forever marking human history with the devastating power of nuclear weapons. We remember the countless lives lost, the innocent victims, and the profound suffering endured by survivors – the hibakusha – whose stories “are a timely summons to all of us to build a safer world and foster a climate of peace.” (Pope Leo XIV)
The Church’s Enduring Witness for Peace
The Church consistently teaches that peace is far more than merely the absence of war. As the Second Vatican Council articulated in Gaudium et Spes, peace “is rightly and appropriately called an enterprise of justice.” It is a fruit of that order structured into human society by God, actualized by humanity’s thirst for ever greater justice. Peace is also profoundly the “effect of charity.” It is built upon respect for human dignity, free communication among people, and the assiduous practice of fraternity.
In Pacem in Terris (1963), Pope Saint John XXIII issued a groundbreaking call to “all people of good will,” urging the world to build peace on the foundations of truth, justice, charity, and liberty. He emphasized the dignity of every human person and the universal rights that flow from that dignity, including the right to life, religious freedom, and participation in public affairs. He warned against the aggression and coercion that lead to war and called for comprehensive disarmament and a global commitment to the common good.
The U.S. Bishops echoed this call in The Challenge of Peace: God’s Promise and Our Response (1983), condemning the arms race as a “curse on the human race.” They declared that nuclear weapons, especially those aimed at civilian populations, are morally indefensible. They urged Catholics to reject violence and embrace nonviolence, dialogue, and conscientious objection as legitimate expressions of faith.
Pope John Paul II frequently stressed that the path of war resolves no problems, but rather increases hatred, violence, and suffering. He called for a rejection of the “culture of war” and encouraged dialogue, negotiation, cooperation, and solidarity as means to address human crises. The Holy See has consistently supported efforts for peaceful coexistence among nations and states, rooted in the inalienable rights and dignity of every person .
The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church further elaborates that peace is a universal duty founded on a rational and moral order rooted in God Himself. It requires a correct understanding of the human person and the establishment of an order based on justice and charity. When human dignity is not respected, and civil life is not directed to the common good, peace is threatened. The defense and promotion of human rights are therefore essential for building a peaceful society.
In light of this, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki stand as a stark reminder of the catastrophic consequences when these principles are abandoned. They underscore the urgent need for all of humanity to choose paths of dialogue, diplomacy, and solidarity over violence and destruction.
Peacemaking and the Mission of the CIC
The Catholic Information Center (CIC) in Grand Rapids embodies this legacy of peace and mission. Rooted in the Paulist Fathers’ charism of evangelization, the CIC forms lay Catholics as missionary disciples – equipped to serve their parishes and the wider world with faith, hope, and love.
Peacemaking is not peripheral to this mission. It is central. Every formation initiative is grounded in the belief that each person is made in the image of God, and that healing relationships is a sacred task.
As Catholics, we are urgently summoned to do in love what the truth requires, joining with all true peacemakers in pleading for peace and bringing it about. This means actively promoting justice, solidarity, and integral human development, and always respecting the dignity of all people. Pope Francis reminded us that true peace and harmony cannot exist if we do not work for a more just and integral society and overcome selfish interests.
A Future filled with Hope
The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, recently expressed his prayer that this anniversary may 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.”
On this anniversary, we turn to Mary, Queen of Peace, to intercede for our world, that all peoples may embrace understanding, reconciliation, and the pursuit of true peace.
Let us recommit ourselves to being instruments of God’s peace. May we, through our actions rooted in justice and charity, contribute to building that “tranquility of order” which is true peace – the peace of Christ Himself.
