This Thursday marks the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. To commemorate the event, the Community of Sant’Egidio and the Diocese of Hiroshima have called for a 75-hour Prayer Vigil for Peace, running from August 6th to 9th. On August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb was used for the first time against a civilian population in Hiroshima. Three days later, on August 9, the same happened in Nagasaki. Both cities have a rich history of Christian faith.
In Nagasaki, the attack killed two-thirds of the Catholic community. The bombings were ordered by U.S. President Harry S. Truman.“Since then, these two days remain a turning point for all humanity. We were made to understand the capacity that human beings have to kill, injure, and deny the humanity of others, but, at the same time, we were reminded that evil is not our final destiny,” states a communiqué signed by the Community of Sant’Egidio and the Bishop of Hiroshima, Msgr. Alexis Mitsuru Shirahama.The document cites Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, which recognizes that the common good is founded on the “inviolable dignity” of all people and requires us to build a “way of living together.” Within this framework, the Prayer Vigil will take place, and its activities will not be limited to Japan.
“For 75 hours, people who yearn for peace in New York, Hiroshima, and Rome will pray, remembering the victims of the atomic bomb and war, and pledging to work for peace,” the statement explains. In addition to the crypt of the Hiroshima World Peace Memorial Cathedral, known as the Cathedral of the Assumption, the Chapel of the Immaculate Heart of Jesus and Mary in New York and the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere in Rome “will also be open to all during the Prayer Vigil for Peace.”“Ensuring a space and time for prayer in each of these three cities is a choice that, as Pope Leo XIV wrote, transforms ‘the way our cities are’ to better respond to the common good,” the Community of Sant’Egidio and the Diocese of Hiroshima explain.“In prayer, we can receive the ‘peace without weapons, which pacifies hearts’ and makes the common good possible. Let us reopen our lives to that peace that comes from the Lord,” they added.Those who wish to participate remotely can follow the live broadcast of the vigil on the Sant’Egidio Community’s YouTube channel. An email address has also been set up for people to send prayer intentions, which will be read aloud during the vigil.