Presiding Bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church, Frank Griswold, has been welcomed by the leaders of Japan’s Anglican Church late last week as he arrived for a five-day visit to affirm peacemaking 60 years after the end of World War II.
“Our two churches, here in Japan and the United States, are on a journey of reconciliation,” said Griswold in a sermon delivered at Hiroshima’s Resurrection Church on Sunday.Prior to his sermon, Rev. Griswold visited the nearby memorial Peace Park of remembrance for the more than 200,000 who died when the U.S. dropped the bomb over the city on August 6, 1945.
There, Griswold and the Primate of the Anglican Church of Japan, James Toru Uno, placed flowers and prayed for the victims, particularly more than 20,000 Koreans who died in the Hiroshima blast, many of whom were held as forced labourers during the war.
“Words are inadequate to express the depth of remorse and sadness, even desolation, I experience in seeing the devastation caused by this horrific event,” Griswold told the congregation, which included Uno.
The ECUSA presiding bishop expressed his “own profound sorrow, regret and repentance for the suffering the citizens of this city bore...and those in Nagasaki on August 9th”.
Griswold, whose visit to Japan comes at the invitation of Uno and other Anglican-Christian leaders, commended Uno for his August 15 “Message of Peace” which reiterated the Nippon Sei Ko Kai’s (Anglican Church in Japan) “determined desire for world peace” and admission that the church “lacked the courage to stand up in opposition to the war”.
Griswold said that Bishop Uno’s statement highlighted an attempt by U.S. policy in the world today to “push” Japan towards a militaristic posture once more, undermining the country’s “Peace Constitution”.Jesus makes clear that the core of our faith lived out in the world is our call to love both our creator and our neighbour. The bombing of Hiroshima does a terrible dishonour to both.
Rev. Frank Griswold, Presiding Bishop of ECUSA
“I commend Bishop Uno for his prophetic warnings. And I join him in once again reminding my own government that the United States must exercise leadership that heals and reconciles, and avoid policies that foment violence and revenge,” said Rev. Griswold.
He added: “Jesus makes clear that the core of our faith lived out in the world is our call to love both our creator and our neighbour. The bombing of Hiroshima does a terrible dishonour to both.
“The memorial invites us never to forget. And as we in the Christian community are reminded of Christ’s commandment of love, we are called to proclaim to the world there is another way.”
Rev. Griswold, who was also awarded an honorary doctorate by Rikkyo University during his visit to Japan, is currently in Korea to visit the Anglican Church there, following his visit to Japan.
