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Pope Francis today said the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 70 years ago this week “still arouses horror and revulsion*.”
“‘No’ to war and violence and ‘Yes’ to dialogue and to peace,” he said. “With war one always loses. The only way to win a war is never to wage it.”
He made these remarks in his Angelus address at Saint Peter’s. Vatican radio published the following text of his remarks:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
“Seventy years ago, on the 6th and the 9th of August 1945, the terrible atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki took place. Even after so many years, this tragic event still arouses horror and revulsion. This (event) has become the symbol of mankind’s enormous destructive power when it makes a distorted use of scientific and technical progress and serves as a lasting warning to humanity so that it rejects forever war and bans nuclear weapons and all arms of mass destruction. Above all, this sad anniversary urges us to pray and strive for peace, to spread brotherhood throughout the world and a climate of peaceful coexistence between peoples. May one cry rise up from every land, ‘No’ to war and violence and ‘Yes’ to dialogue and to peace. With war one always loses. The only way to win a war is never to wage it.
*This post has been updated for accuracy.