Catholic Bishops from the U.S., Japan, and South Korea Joint Statement on the 80th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombings Hiroshima, Japan

 In August 2025, during the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, four prominent U.S. Catholic bishops traveled to Japan to participate in a Pilgrimage of Peace, fostering prayer, dialogue, and global advocacy for nuclear disarmament. The bishops issued a joint statement found below the video.
Participating bishops include:
• His Eminence Blase Cardinal Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago
• His Eminence, Robert Cardinal McElroy, Archbishop of Washington, D.C. • Most Reverend Paul Etienne, Archbishop of Seattle
• Most Reverend John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe
Organized under the theme of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, “Pilgrims of Hope,” the delegation will be accompanied by faculty, staff, and students from U.S. Catholic universities. The pilgrimage is guided by the imperative of Pope Francis to “remember, journey together, and protect,” especially relevant amid today’s global instability and renewed nuclear threats. Cardinals Cupich and McElroy were pleased to accept the invitation from Most Reverend Alexis Mitsuru Shirahama, Bishop of Hiroshima, and Most Reverend Peter Michiaki Nakamura, Archbishop of Nagasaki.

Catholic Bishops from the U.S., Japan, and South Korea Issue Joint Statement on the 80th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombings Hiroshima, Japan - Wednesday, August 6, 2025 -  On the solemn occasion of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the end of World War II, Catholic bishops from the United States, Japan, and South Korea have come together in Hiroshima to call for a world free of nuclear weapons. Representing the Partnership for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons, the bishops joined with atomic bomb survivor organizations to honor the memory of those who perished, to stand in solidarity with survivors, and to urge the global community to reject the possession, use, and threat of nuclear arms. Their united message is clear: nuclear weapons have no place in a just and peaceful world.
Toward Solidarity to Protect All Life
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings and the end of World War II, we, the undersigned representatives of atomic bomb survivor organizations, cardinals, archbishops, and bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States, South Korea, and Japan, have gathered in Hiroshima to remember the victims of World War II, to honor the memory of those who endured unimaginable suffering caused by the atomic bombings, including those from the Korean Peninsula and other regions of Asia, and to pray that such a tragedy will never be repeated. We are pleased that the longstanding efforts of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) have been prominently recognized with last year’s Nobel Peace Prize. We pray that the earnest wishes of the aging atomic bomb survivors for world peace and the elimination of nuclear weapons reach and move people around the world.
Recently, concerns have been raised that signatories to the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty (NPT) are not fulfilling their obligation under Article 6 to negotiate in good faith for nuclear disarmament. Additionally, militarized alliances, particularly with nuclear weapon states, are increasingly viewed as crucial for national protection. 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 zelous pursuit of peace and solidarity.
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. Alongside other civil society and religious organizations, we will continue to protest the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and insist on the common good of protecting the earth and all life on it. We advocate for the ratification and expansion of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). We also commit to cooperating with efforts called for in Articles 6 and 7 of the TPNW to support victims of nuclear weapons and to restore environments affected by nuclear weapons.
The undersigned bishops of the United States, South Korea, and Japan who have been given the opportunity to gather here to dialogue for peace with hibakusha associations commit to expanding our circle of peace and solidarity internationally. In particular, we understand that efforts will be made to expand the “Partnership for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons” (PWNW), established by the by the Diocese of Hiroshima and the Archdiocese of Nagasaki, two Japanese dioceses affected by the atomic bombing, and the Archdioceses of Santa Fe and Seattle, two U.S. dioceses still threatened by nuclear weapons research, development, production, and possession.
In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings, August 5, 2025.
[Bishops in the United States]
Archdiocese of Chicago: Blase Cardinal Cupich Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.: Robert W. Cardinal McElroy Archdiocese of Seattle: Archbishop Paul D. Etienne Archdiocese of Santa Fe: Archbishop John C. Wester [Korean Bishops]
Diocese of Incheon: Bishop John Baptist Shin-chul Jung Diocese of Uijeongbu: Bishop Benedictus Hee-song Son Diocese Chuncheon: Bishop Simon Ju-young Kim [Japanese Bishops] Archdiocese of Tokyo: Tarcisius Isao Cardinal Kikuchi Archdiocese of Osaka-Takamatsu: Thomas Aq. Man'yo Cardinal Maeda Archdiocese of Nagasaki: Archbishop Peter Michiaki Nakamura Diocese of Nagoya: Bishop Michael Goro Matsuura Diocese of Sapporo: Bishop Bernard Taiji Katsuya Diocese of Fukuoka: Bishop Joseph Maria Abeya Batlle Diocese of Saitama: Bishop Mario Michiaki Yamanouchi Diocese of Sendai: Bishop Edgar Gacutan Diocese of Niigata: Bishop Paul Daisuke Narui Diocese of Oita: Bishop Sulpice Shinzo Moriyama Diocese of Hiroshima Diocese: Bishop Alexis Mitsuru Shirahama Archdiocese of Nagasaki: Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Mitsuaki Takami

https://archdiosf.org/documents/2025/8/250805_ASF_PWWN_Joint%20statement-1.pdf