Cardinal Cupich, in Hiroshima, contrasts light of Transfiguration and light of atomic bomb
August 07, 2025
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CWN Editor's Note: Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago traveled to Hiroshima, Japan, to celebrate Mass on August 6, the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city.
“On Tabor, light revealed our calling to share eternally in divine glory as sons and daughters of the Father; in Hiroshima, light brought unimaginable destruction, darkness and death and created an unprecedented threat to the survival of the planet and our future,” he preached. “On Tabor, God spoke from the heavens words of love and affirmation; in Hiroshima, the bomb falling from the skies announced human suffering and despair on an unimaginable scale.”
He concluded:
On this day, 80 years ago, the world witnessed the alarming misuse of human ingenuity that brought about inconceivable destruction. So this morning, we are called to sustain and make our own the vision God has always had for us. We do that by remembering our stories and praying for all those who perished and suffered on that tragic day. We do that by taking up the journey together, and by tapping into the deep resources of human ingenuity, this time to protect one another by creating new paths towards a lasting peace.The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
This Feast of the Transfiguration was forever changed 80 years ago today. May we remain steadfast in telling the world why.
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