Japan Catholic Bishops’ Declaration on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons 2025

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Japan Catholic Bishops’ Declaration on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons 2025 “Having experienced the destructi […]

Japan Catholic Bishops’ Declaration
on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons 2025


“Having experienced the destructive power of nuclear weapons, we have a responsibility as valuable witnesses to continue to advocate for the abolition of nuclear weapons.” (Resolution for Peace: On the 50th Anniversary of the End of the War).

As we mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan, the only bishops from a country to have suffered atomic bombings in war, carry deeply engraved in our hearts the heavy history and pain that atomic bomb survivors and citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have suffered, and hereby declare our strong commitment to the abolition of nuclear weapons.

In Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many lives were lost in the atomic bombings of 1945, and many people still live with the suffering and aftereffects of the bombings. This tragedy must not be repeated.

The existence of nuclear weapons is a serious threat to all life, as it degrades the dignity of human beings and the world that God created to be very good. The damage caused by fallout and the widespread environmental destruction caused by nuclear explosions have an enormous negative impact on global ecosystems.

Furthermore, we must not forget the existence of victims related to nuclear testing and uranium mining, the “Global Hibakusha” [hibakusha=atomic victims] who force us to take a broader view of atomic survivors. Therefore, the development, testing, production, possession and use of nuclear weapons are ethically impermissible.

The concept of nuclear deterrence is not only an ineffective means of resolving conflicts, but it also plunges the world into a “security dilemma” that in reality pushes the world toward the brink of nuclear war. We cannot tolerate this kind of thinking.

We respect the spirit of the Constitution of Japan that rejects the threat of force as a means of settling disputes between nations and have worked toward the realization of coexistence through peaceful dialogue. The use of nuclear weapons as a means of intimidation in any conflict situation should never be tolerated under international law and norms.

As followers of the gospel of Christ, we strongly urge the complete abolition of nuclear weapons in order to achieve peace through dialogue and to protect the life and dignity of all people.

We bishops commit ourselves to do the following:

  • We will continue to convey the reality of the atomic bombings to the world and declare the inhumanity of nuclear weapons;
  • We will stand in solidarity with domestic and international movements for the abolition of nuclear weapons and promote actions to achieve this goal;
  • We will support the principles of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and urge the Japan government to ratify it as soon as possible;
  • We will pass on the philosophy of peace to the next generation through peace education and awareness-raising activities.

The world should be able to choose peace without nuclear weapons. We call on everyone who wants the abolition of nuclear weapons. Let us pray and do our utmost to maintain our relationship with God, with people and with nature, and to realize a peaceful society, not through nuclear weapons that threaten all life, but through the practice of God’s love that honors all life.

June 17, 2025
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan