“Nuclear arms offend our shared humanity and betray the dignity of creation, whose harmony we are called to safeguard” Pope Leo XIV said in a message addressed to Bishop Alexis Shirahama of Hiroshima, and read by the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Francisco Escalante Molina during the celebration of Mass for Peace in Hiroshima.
Each year, we remember the horrific events of August 6 and August 9, 1945, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only time nuclear weapons have been used against human targets.
For 81 years, the earth and its inhabitants have lived under the threat of nuclear destruction. Trillions of dollars have gone into their development and maintenance, while actual human needs of shelter, health care, food, and education are deeply underfunded.
In May 2026, the 11th review conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty failed for the third time in a row to make progress toward the treaty’s goal of limiting nuclear weapons and failed even to agree upon a final statement. Pax Christi International participated as a civil society actor in the review conference, and observed that there “is a growing divergence between the Treaty’s promise of disarmament and a reality increasingly defined by nuclear permanence. This places our fragile planet, and all its inhabitants, at existential risk. The erosion of the promises made in the NPT suggests that while the world may continue to recognize the threat of nuclear catastrophe in principle, it tolerates its possibility in practice.”
Use this link to read the entire Pax Christi International report.
From its founding in 1945 in the aftermath of World War II, Pax Christi has prioritized the work of nuclear disarmament. The Pax Christi International secretariat is a proud member of the Nobel Peace-prize awardee International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons.
As Pope Francis said in his June 2022 message to the First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, “Nuclear weapons are a costly and dangerous liability. They represent a ‘risk multiplier’ that provides only an illusion of a ‘peace of sorts.’ Here, I wish to reaffirm that the use of nuclear weapons, as well as their mere possession, is immoral. Trying to defend and ensure stability and peace through a false sense of security and a ‘balance of terror,’ sustained by a mentality of fear and mistrust inevitably ends up poisoning relationships between peoples and obstructing any possible form of real dialogue. Possession leads easily to threats of their use, becoming a sort of ‘blackmail’ that should be repugnant to the consciences of humanity.”
Lanterns for peace from Hiroshima to the world
Pax Christi International has paired with a Hiroshima-based community organization to introduce a new observance, which the people of Hiroshima began shortly after the 1945 bombing of their city. It is based on a traditional Japanese festival honoring and welcoming visits from the spirits of their ancestors called Obon. Some Pax Christi USA local groups already incorporate peace lanterns in their observance of the anniversaries of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
If you are interested, use this link to download a PDF booklet with background information, suggestions for liturgies and directions on how to make peace lanterns.
As always, we ask you to tell us about your August 6 and 9 activities, with photos if at all possible.
Sunday, July 19 — Annual interfaith prayer vigil to commemorate the anniversary of the Trinity atomic test. Held in person in Santa Fe, NM, and livestreamed. Use this link to find more information.
>> Thursday, August 6: Annual Nuclear Prayer Day — Use this link to find lots of resources and ways to be involved.
>> Check the Back from the Brink website for lists of commemoration events taking place around the country.
- Our July 2026 Prayer-Study-Action on the existential need for nuclear disarmament
- Novena for nuclear disarmament, created by Pax Christi Maine and repurposed for the Archdioceses of Santa Fe and Seattle’s pilgrimage to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 2023
- Join the 40-day fast for Christian nonviolence (July 1-August 9).
- The Clinton Franciscans offer this interactive quiz designed to raise awareness about the critical issue of nuclear weapons proliferation across the globe.
- Nuclear arms race PDF
- Use this link to find a compilation of pop culture responses to nuclear weapons. (Thanks to Nick Mele for his work on this.)
Find additional resources for observing these commemorations at the following links:
- Prayer service for Hiroshima Day adapted and designed by Rosemarie Pace of Pax Christi New York
- Pastoral letter from Archbishop John C. Wester calling for nuclear disarmament (available for purchase in hard copy here)
- The Risk of the Cross: Living Gospel nonviolence in the nuclear age, written by Pax Christi USA Teacher of Peace Art Laffin. Designed for small group reflection and discussion.
- A prayer for nuclear disarmament prayer cards, written for Pax Christi USA by Sr. Diane Smith
- A prayer for nuclear disarmament by Kim Vanderheiden, Pax Christi Northern California
- Partnership for a World Without Nuclear Weapons, a growing coalition of Catholic Leaders founded by bishops from Japan and the United States
- “Nuclear Weapons Are Illegal” banner
- Additional resources on nuclear disarmament
HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI COMMEMORATIONS 2026
To add your event, send the info to Stephen Niamke, Pax Christi USA National Field Organizer, at sniamke@paxchristiusa.org
Two videos on the peace crane:
In the first video, Pax Christi USA Ambassador of Peace Judith Kelly shares the story of how the origami crane came to symbolize nuclear disarmament and peace, and in the second video, she demonstrates how to fold the crane.