Seeds Will Grow

Cross-posting a summary and link to the full text of Cardinal Robert McElroy’s message on the Catholic Church’s evolving stance on war and peace from his visit to Hiroshima, Japan on the 80th anniversary of the nuclear bombing on August 6th (source):

---

Cardinal Robert McElroy Calls for Renewed Catholic Commitment to Nonviolence and Nuclear Disarmament in Hiroshima Address

Press Release 

Hiroshima, Japan – August 6, 2025 – On the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Cardinal Robert McElroy delivered a powerful address in Hiroshima, Japan, calling for a renewed commitment within the Catholic Church to nonviolence, nuclear disarmament, and the rejection of war as a moral failure.

Speaking at an academic symposium at Elizabeth University of Music—held as part of the Pilgrimage of Peace to Japancommemorating the bombings—Cardinal McElroy reflected on the legacy of these tragic events and the Church’s evolving moral teachings on war and peace: “Is there any place on earth where the enormous cruelty of war is more palpable and haunting than in this place, on this terrible day of remembrance.”

Highlighting the pressing dangers of nuclear proliferation and the misuse of warfare, McElroy emphasized: “The continuation of wars among nations and within societies… have pointed to the need to fundamentally renew and prioritize the claim of nonviolent action as the primary framework for Catholic teaching on war and peace.”

He also referenced Pope Francis‘ decisive turn away from just war theory: “Pope Francis who utilized the trajectory of all of these statements to construct a framework for Catholic teaching on war and peace that placed nonviolence rather than the just war ethic as the primary prism through which to evaluate decisions in situations of deep conflict.”

In addition, Cardinal McElroy praised the emerging leadership of Pope Leo XIV and his emphasis on structural approaches to peace: “Pope Leo sees this construction of a culture of nonviolence as not only personal or communal witness, but as building structures and institutions of nonviolence for our world.”

As an Advisory Council member of the Catholic Institute for Nonviolence, Cardinal McElroy tied the message of his pilgrimage directly to the Church’s moral mission: “My Peace Pilgrimage to Japan on this somber anniversary reflects the message of the Catholic Institute for Nonviolence that our world must have a complete moral about face regarding violence and warfare, especially the issues of nuclear weapons.”

The Pilgrimage of Peace includes Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle, and Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe. The U.S. delegation is participating in a series of events aimed at prayer, dialogue, and advocacy for nuclear disarmament under the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year theme, Pilgrims of Hope.

---

Full speech on the evolution of Catholic teaching on war and peace