Archbishop Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo has raised critical ethical concerns regarding foreign military bases in Japan. During a homily, he emphasized the need for global peace through dialogue rather than force, highlighting ongoing conflicts and the plight of displaced individuals. The prelate’s call invites us to rethink how we achieve and sustain peace.
Tags: #Peace #Ethics #ArchbishopKikuchi #Japan #GlobalDialogue #MilitaryPresence #HumanDignity
Newsdesk (13/08/2024 20:18, Gaudium Press) During a homily at Tokyo Cathedral of St. Mary, the prelate highlighted ethical concerns in conversations with Pope Francis and emphasized the need for a shift from force to dialogue to achieve true peace.
He relayed a discussion between the pontiff and the bishops of Japan where concerns about the ethics of long-term foreign military installations were raised.
“The Pope responded that he had never thought about the ethics of the stationing of foreign troops, but that he would like to study it as an important issue in the future,” said Archbishop Kikuchi.
The prelate criticized the practice of sustaining peace through military means. He highlighted that individuals often justify the use of force as necessary for their own protection, adopting a narrow viewpoint centered on personal safety rather than broader, communal stability.
This approach, according to the prelate, prevents a genuine commitment to peace through dialogue. Instead, it perpetuates violence under the guise of security, undermining true peace efforts.
“If we consider that protecting the lives of each and every person is the top priority, then the use of force should be avoided at all costs, but in reality, such thinking is often criticized as being unrealistic,” he said.
He also highlighted ongoing violence in regions like Ukraine, Myanmar, and Gaza. He said the reality of today’s world is marked by incidents in which defenseless civilians are caught up in violent acts of taking life.
He argued against the reliance on military strength to secure peace, asserting that strengthening military forces for defence is not the natural path to peace from the Church’s standpoint of protecting life.
“When we look at reality from the perspective of the violence done to the gift of life and the obstruction of the realization of God’s order, we see much more than war,” said Archbishop Kikuchi.
He discussed the widespread displacement caused by environmental destruction and global warming, forcing people to leave their ancestral lands.
He also addressed the plight of refugees and internally displaced persons who are compelled to flee due to war and conflict.
The prelate lamented individuals living in conditions where their basic dignity is compromised and those ostracized due to differences in thoughts, beliefs, or lifestyles.
“There are many more acts of violence against life, too numerous to mention here. All of these are issues for peace. The reality that life is about to be taken away from its dignity is, without a doubt, an issue for peace,” he said.
The United States has stationed 171,736 active-duty military personnel across 178 countries, with the highest concentrations in Japan (53,973).
Japan is one of the countries that hosts the largest number of U.S. military installations.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from LiCAS.news
