Cardinal Isao Kikuchi issued a strong moral call to uphold the sanctity of life, condemning all forms of violence and despair that continue to spread across the globe at the Easter Vigil celebration in Tokyo.
“Life, a gift given to us by the Father in his mercy and love, must be protected from its beginning to its end, without exception,” the cardinal said during his homily at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
The prelate said all creation “is imbued with dignity, and this human dignity must be respected without exception,” adding, “Any form of violence that takes away a life must not be tolerated.”
Cardinal Kikuchi delivered his message before a congregation that included catechumens receiving the sacraments of Baptism, the Eucharist, and Confirmation.
At Sekiguchi Church alone, 13 individuals were baptized. “Welcoming our new brothers and sisters, we realize that the church is renewed and always full of life,” he said.
The archbishop of Tokyo situated the Easter message within a broader critique of global suffering, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, ongoing conflict in Gaza and Syria, and the military coup in Myanmar, a country he described as “a long-time partner of the Tokyo Archdiocese.”
“Many lives have been violently taken, and the darkness has only deepened amid the uncertainty of the future,” he said. “What has become of this deepening darkness? It has been the spread of selfishness, driven by a desire to protect oneself, and rejection due to anxiety about the existence of things different from us.”
The prelate, who serves as president of Caritas Internationalis, warned that violence and fear have become so prevalent that “it almost feels natural to use violence to counter violence.”
Amid this backdrop, Cardinal Kikuchi called on the faithful to walk the journey of life together, not in isolation but with mutual support and trust in the Risen Lord.
“The resurrected Lord Jesus is in the middle of our journey,” he said. “The Lord Jesus, who lives in resurrection, is our promise and true hope of eternal life.”
Referring to the Gospel account of the women at the empty tomb, he reflected on the angel’s command to return to Galilee—the place of first encounter with Jesus.
“It is not just a memory of the past,” he said, “but a guide to living in hope that gives a clear direction to the journey of life that will continue into the future.”
He encouraged the newly baptized to see their initiation into the Church as the beginning of an ongoing commitment. “Baptism is not the completion of our life of faith, but the starting point of a journey,” he said.
“Faith is a journey,” Cardinal Kikuchi added. “It is not a journey we walk blindly, but a journey of hope in which we continue to walk together with the Lord and with our brothers and sisters.”
