The heads of atomic bomb survivor groups in Hiroshima and Nagasaki voiced hope Friday that newly elected Pope Leo XIV will promote nuclear abolition as his predecessor, Francis, did.
The late pope, who died in April, visited the two atomic-bombed Japanese cities in 2019 and called for the elimination of nuclear weapons.
“I want (the new pope) to think about peace first and aim for a world without nuclear weapons,” said Toshiyuki Mimaki, 83, who heads a hibakusha group in Hiroshima Prefecture. He urged the 69-year-old new pope to “visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the near future.”
“It doesn’t matter where he is from. I hope he’ll work with the same mindset as previous popes,” Mimaki said of Leo, the first U.S.-born pope.
Shigemitsu Tanaka, 84, who heads a hibakusha group in the Nagasaki Prefecture, said that he wants the new pope to adhere to Francis’ stance on nuclear abolition.
“The wish of hibakusha is not to fight back, but to ensure that people never have to go through the same suffering again,” Tanaka said.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. Still, there are constant military clashes around the world, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “World leaders should have more dialogue before fighting a war,” Tanaka said.
