Pope in Japan says world must rethink reliance on nuke power

Pope Francis met Monday with victims of Japan’s 2011 nuclear disaster and called for world to rethink its reliance on nuclear power as it considers planet it wants to leave to future generations.

Francis recalled that Japan’s Catholic bishops called for abolition of nuclear power plants in aftermath of “triple disaster,” in which three reactors at a nuclear plant in Fukushima melted down after an earthquake triggered a tsunami.

meltdown coated area in rioactive fallout and at one point forced displacement of 160,000 people. Nine years later more than 40,000 people still can’t return home.

Francis didn’t make call to abolish nuclear power in his speech before victims. But in citing position of Japanese bishops and his own calls for lifestyle changes that consider environment, he me clear that “important decisions will have to be me about use of natural resources, and future energy sources in particular.”

“As we think about future of our common home, we need to realize that we cant make purely selfish decisions, and that we have a great responsibility to future generations,” he said. “Consequently, we must choose a humble and sober way of life that recognizes urgent realities we are called to face.”

During his first full day in Japan on Sunday, Francis visited Nagasaki and Hiroshima — sites of where two U.S. atomic bombs were unleashed in World War II — and said both use and possession of nuclear weapons was “immoral.”

He has t articulated a formal position on nuclear power, but Vatican has previously called for “safe, secure, and peaceful, development and operation of nuclear techlogies.”

Francis spoke after listening to searing testimony from victims, including Matsuki Kamoshita, a 17-year-old high school student from Iwaki on eastern coast of Fukushima.

Kamoshita wrote to pope last year begging that he visit Fukushima to see for himself impact. He was rewarded with a papal audience at Vatican, and on Monday a chance to dress pope in public to tell his story.

day after tsunami, Kamoshita’s parents and his little bror evacuated and eventually ended up in Tokyo to stay away from riation. Inste of sympathy, he faced bullying at school, where he was treated as if “infectious.”

In his speech to pope Monday, Kamoshita lamented that government h “given up” on housing evacuees while continuing to pursue nuclear power as a state policy.

“It will take many times longer than my lifetime to restore contaminated land and forests,” he told pope. “So, for us who live re, ults have a responsibility to explain without concealing anything about rioactive contamination, exposure, and possible dam in future. I don’t want m to die before us, having lied or t mitting truth.”

Kamoshita asked for pope to pray that political leers find ar path.

“And please pray with us that people from all over world will work to eliminate threat of riation exposure from our future,” he said.

After he finished, he approached pope, who took him in his arms for a long embrace.

pro-nuclear government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sought to restart as many reactors as possible to keep nuclear industry and techlogy alive, especially as it seeks to showcase its recovery ahe of Tokyo Olympics next year.

Areas that used to be under -go zone in Fukushima have opened following decontamination efforts, prompting people to return home and resulting in cuts to government financial support for evacuees.

government’s compensation policy and differing views about lingering riation concerns have caused a deep divide among Fukushima residents, whose voices and concerns have largely been eclipsed nine years after disaster.

“Regardless of position on what to do with nuclear energy, its victims here are suffering under government policy that has marginalized m,” said Kazuko Ito, secretary general of Human Rights w.

Ito welcomed Francis’ visit as a chance to “shed light on issue and let ir voices be heard.”

Francis’ meeting with victims kicked off a busy day of activities in Tokyo, including a private audience with Emperor Naruhito, a rally with young people and Mass at Tokyo Dome.

During his meeting with young people, Francis deunced what he called an “epidemic” of bullying that is afflicting youth in Japan and elsewhere. He was responding to testimony from three students who recounted pressures y face in a hyper-competitive society, ir feelings of inequacy and cruelty y sometimes face from ir classmates that drives some to suicide.

“We must all unite against this culture of bullying and learn to say “Eugh!” Francis told m.

At end of day, he delivers his main political speech to Abe and government authorities.

Francis wraps up his weeklong trip to Asia with a speech Tuesday at Sophia University, Japan’s main Catholic university founded by his Jesuit order a century ago.