Mitsunobu Ichiro SJ
This book is a collection of documents focused on the Report “Healing a Broken World” (2010) done by a team of Jesuit specialists and published by the Central Secretariat on Social Justice and Ecology of the Society of Jesus. A characteristic addition is a list of documents on ecological, nuclear and energy issues concerning the March 11 disasters that became “signs of the times”for Japan.
Back in 1974-75 Jesuits proclaimed their present mission as the “Service of Faith and the Promotion of Justice” in the 32nd General Congregation (Decree 4). More recently, the Promotion of Justice is understood in broader terms. There is a greater consciousness now not only that unjust situations which oppress human rights are occasioned by social systems, but also that the whole global natural system greatly affects human ecological realities. The Jesuit Central Secretariat has just changed its signboard from “Secretariat of Social Justice” to “Secretariat of Social Justice and Ecology”.
On the other hand, “Fukushima” became a phenomenon that in similar ways has shaken us to embrace the triple goal offered by the 35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus: “Reconciliation with God,” “Reconciliation with one another,” and “Reconciliation with creation.”
I think that the social harm done to Japan for not paying attention to such triple reconciliations have been now publicly exposed. In other words, the extreme confidence we as humans, have placed in ourselves as the masters of Nature has created unjust closed structures based on producing human victims and making a mock of economically retarded regions under the name of “nuclear energy villages.” As a result, infants who need to be raised in good health, as well as the land and the sea have been spoiled. Fukushima inhabitants have been wounded and their lives have been fractured.
On November 8, 2011, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan published the message “Abolish Nuclear Plants Immediately ? Facing the Tragedy of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant Disaster.” In answer to that call, we feel the moral responsibility towards future generations, and in accord with our belief in Creation, we hope this collection of documents will help greatly toward discernment regarding the nature of ecological, nuclear, and energy issues.
