Pope Francis calls nuclear weapons 'a black hole of destruction'

In an emotional meeting with Hiroshima survivors, Pope Francis on November 24 made an appeal to the world for the total elimination of nuclear arms. In his speech, he said that the use of atomic energy for the purposes of war is immoral and that humanity will be judged on this.

'Black hole of destruction': Pope 

Pope Francis described all nuclear bombs as 'a crime' as he was appealing for an end to atomic weapons. The Pope's Hiroshima visit came after his highly symbolic visit to Nagasaki hours earlier. Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the only two cities in the world to be directly destroyed by atomic bombs. The atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 killed over 140,000 people and the bomb at Nagasaki killed over 74,000 three days later. Calling it a "black hole of destruction", Pope Francis described how everything was devoured and destroyed in merely an instant.

He called the continued use of atomic energy for the purposes of war a crime against any possible future for "our common home". The Pope has said that he felt that he had a duty to come here, to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on a pilgrimage of peace and commended the present survivors on their strength and dignity.

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Read: At Nagasaki, Pope Francis Condemns 'unspeakable Horror' Of Nuclear Weapons

Survivors shared their harrowing memories

The survivors who were there at the event shared their harrowing experience. Yoshiko Kajimoto, who was 14 at the time of the attack, described how after the blast she saw people walking side-by-side like ghosts. The survivors felt that the memory of the bombings and their experiences may disappear after their death but perhaps the Pope can preserve their experiences and memories and bring renewed attention to them.

Koji Hosokawa, another survivor told the Pope through a letter that the passing on the experiences of the 'A-bomb survivors' to the next generation is their final mission. In Hiroshima, the Pope reiterated that the world has no place for the use or even the possession of nuclear weapons. Even as a deterrent they are immoral. In Nagasaki, Pope Francis took special note of the arms industry and claiming that any money spent on weapons is an affront to heaven. The Pope is also scheduled to deliver a mass at a Tokyo baseball stadium and meet Japan's new Emperor Naruhito.

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Read: Pope In Hiroshima: "Use And Possession Of Atom Bomb 'immoral'"