An important message has been sent to the world from atomic-bombed cities, calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons and international cooperation in that task. The message is in accordance with Japan's fundamental principles. Cooperation should be further promoted in this respect.
Pope Francis has visited Japan, delivering speeches in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. In Nagasaki, he said the city had "witnessed the catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences of a nuclear attack."
There is great significance to the fact that the pope, a figure of international influence, has sent a message emphasizing the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and the misery of war from Japan, the only nation to be the victim of atomic bombing.
The framework for nuclear disarmament is starting to collapse due to antagonism between the United States and Russia, whose combined total of nuclear weapons accounts for 90 percent of all such arsenals in the world. North Korea is continuing its nuclear development.
A session of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Meeting will be held next year. The NPT regime should never be reduced to a mere formality, hence furthering the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
In the effort to promote nuclear disarmament, Japan should cooperate with such entities as the Vatican, which has strong capabilities to gather and convey information.
However, there is no denying that the balance of nuclear capabilities has served as a certain deterrent to war between major powers. The U.S. nuclear umbrella functions as the deterrent power of Japan and other allies.
It is a realistic policy for Japan to promote nuclear disarmament step by step while giving consideration to the severe security environment.
The pope referred to an "erosion of multilateralism," calling for confidence-building among nations to resolve such issues as disarmament and poverty. His calls can be described as expressing his anxiety about the spread of unilateralism in the United States and elsewhere.
There seems to be no end to religious, sectarian and ethnic strife in the post-Cold War world. Careful attention should be given to the pope's calls for good relationships among different religions, as well as a culture of dialogue.
The pope's latest visit was his fourth trip to Asia since his papal inauguration. People are moving away from the Catholic Church in Western countries, due to such problems as cases of sexual abuse by the clergy. The pope seems to regard Asia as an important area in which an increase in the number of Catholics can be expected.
The focus of attention is how the Vatican will improve relations with China.
The Vatican has diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but not with China. However, it is believed that there are more than 10 million Catholics in China. Catholic churches are divided in China -- those tied to the government and underground ones that pledge allegiance to the Vatican.
China is stepping up persecution targeting Muslims among the Uighurs, an ethnic minority in China, as well as Christians who are not affiliated with churches tied to the government. It is impossible to say that freedom of religion, which the pope has called for, is guaranteed in China.
Attention must be paid to how Catholics in Taiwan and China will be affected by future relations between the Vatican and China.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 27, 2019)
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