The encounter with the victims of the Fukushima disaster was held at the Bellesalle Hanzomon in Tokyo, one of the city's primary convention centers.
Onstage, a panel remembered the places most affected by the earthquake, the tsunami and the nuclear disaster in 2011.
Pope Francis listened to the raw testimonies of three survivors. They recalled remaining in shock after the catastrophe.
This woman recounted how her house was completely destroyed by the giant tsunami. The young Matsuki was evacuated to Tokyo after the collapse of the nuclear plant in Fukushima. He reminded those present that after eight years, there is still radiation in some places. He asked the adults for an explanation. He explicitly said he did not want the older generation to die without knowing the truth regarding the effects still impacting the surviving population.
At the end of his testimony, the young man asked the pope to pray for them to be able to close the wounds caused by the catastrophe. Pope Francis accepted the young man's petition.
POPE FRANCIS
May this prayer unite us and give us the courage to look forward with hope.
Then Pope Francis asked to overcome the temptation of uncontrolled technological progress, which has enormous destructive potential.
POPE FRANCIS
Until social bonds in local communities are re-established, and people can once more enjoy safe and stable lives, the Fukushima accident will not be fully resolved. In turn, this involves, as my brother bishops in Japan have emphasized, concern about the continuing use of nuclear power; for this reason, they have called for the abolition of nuclear power plants.
At the end of the encounter, the pope stopped to greet some of those present.
The earthquake, the tsunami and the nuclear disaster of 2011 left a total of 18,000 dead and thousands of displaced people who still live in temporary housing.
Javier Romero
Translation: Claudia Torres
