London: Peace witnesses remembered on Nagasaki Day

James Teague with peace lantern

Peace activists from around Britain gathered in London last Friday to remember witnesses for peace in the world. They also lamented the deaths of more than 70,000 people in Nagasaki on 9 August 1945 after the world's second nuclear bomb was dropped on the city by the United States.

A service, organised and led by Pat Gaffney of Pax Christi, was held in the Westminster Cathedral crypt to recall Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian farmer and a Catholic who was executed seventy years ago, on 9 August 1943, for refusing to join Hitler's army. He was beatified in 2007. Around 75 people heard a meditation by Fr Patrick Riordan SJ where he expressed astonishment at Franz’s self assurance and confidence in his own judgment of conscience. “Despite the lack of formal schooling, he showed great clarity of thought and precision of analysis” said Fr Riordan of Jägerstätter’s judgement to reject military service, “and for him it was Christ or Hitler”.

Prayers of remembrance were said for those who have given their lives in the cause of peace. There was a litany of names of conscientious objectors and of Mennonites and members of the Society of Friends who have campaigned against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. When the congregation was invited to add names, those of Archbishop Oscar Romero and Franziska Jägerstätter, Franz’s widow who died earlier this year at the age of 100, received special mention.

The service was followed by a procession to the Peace Pagoda in Battersea Park, led by Buddhist monks in saffron robes and Christians of many denominations carrying peace banners. The Stop the War Coalition of Wandsworth was amongst groups gathered at the Peace Pagoda when the procession arrived.

Bruce Kent, vice-president of Pax Christi, was one of the Christian speakers at the Buddhist prayer ceremony, and he took the opportunity to call for people of faith to oppose the renewal of Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons programme at a cost of an estimated £100 billion. As the sun set, the service concluded with a ceremony in which colourful illuminated lanterns were set afloat on the River Thames to commemorate those who died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 68 years ago and to pray for peace in the world.

See also: ICN 10 August 2013 Text: meditation on life and death of Blessed Franz Jägerstätter www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=23100