A Catholic bishop in Japan warned that voices justifying weapons and military buildup are growing stronger while those suffering from war and working for peace are being silenced.
Bishop Joseph Abella of Fukuoka raised the concern during an Aug. 11 peace gathering where constitutional scholar Shigeru Minamino warned against weakening Japan’s postwar restraints on military expansion, according to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan.
“Blessed are those who see the suffering caused by war and all forms of violence, feel the pain, and work for peace even if they are persecuted,” Abella said in his homily during a Mass that concluded the gathering.
“It is in these things that you will find the happiness you seek,” he added, referring to Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount.
More than 300 people attended the gathering at Fukuoka Cathedral Daimyo-cho Church in Fukuoka City as part of the diocese’s observance of Japan Catholic Peace Week.
The gathering was held under the theme “A Time for Peace: Aiming for Peace Without Military Force.”
Minamino, a professor at Kyushu University and a parishioner in the diocese, spoke about Catholic teaching on peace and the Japanese Constitution.
He said the Church’s position on peace since the Second Vatican Council was “remarkably consistent” with the ideals of the Japanese Constitution and urged Catholics to confidently communicate their opposition to arms races and war.
Minamino cited the Second Vatican Council’s “Pastoral Constitution on the Modern World” and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” noting that the Church defines peace as “not arising from dictatorial rule, but from justice,” and warns that arms races “increase the risk of war.”
According to the bishops’ conference, Minamino said Catholic teaching and the Japanese Constitution both seek “peace without force” and “the absolute prohibition of war,” while permitting the use of force for self-defense under strict and limited conditions.
He focused on efforts to revise Article 9 of the Constitution, particularly Paragraph 2, which states that “war potential will not be maintained.”
Minamino warned that deleting the provision or explicitly recognizing the Self-Defense Forces in the Constitution would cause “constitutional checks” against military expansion to disappear.
He said people were free to hold different views on constitutional revision but should understand the consequences of amending the Constitution.
Minamino also encouraged participants to communicate their views to members of parliament and speak with others about peace, saying there was something each person could do in their own place.
Abella, during the Mass, referred to Pope Leo XIV’s message for this year’s World Day of Peace, themed “Peace Without Weapons.”
He quoted the pope as saying: “The peace of the resurrected Jesus is peace without weapons, because Jesus’ struggle was fought without weapons, within historical, political, and social circumstances.”
Abella also said humans start wars and that it was irresponsible to ask God to stop them without accepting responsibility for working toward peace.
“Fulfilling our civic responsibility to cherish life and the dignity of all people is also a requirement of our faith,” he said.
