This statue, which was permitted by an excess of imperial pride, now serves as a symbol of the humbling inflicted by the vicissitudes of history, writes Matt Malone, S.J.

Restoring public trust in the way we elect our political leaders is an immediate task.

The near-term hardship “won’t hit for a week or two,” Bishop Kopacz said. But “as time goes on this month, there’s going to be some real crises.”

The activists, known as the Kings Bay Plowshares 7, are charged with three felonies and a misdemeanor and face up to 25 years in prison each for trespassing on the U.S. Navy base that houses six Trident submarines carrying hundreds of nuclear weapons.

“This evil affects everyone, and all communities are affected by racism,” said Bishop Shelton J. Fabre.

The bishops of Japan are renewing calls and prayers to build peace by abolishing nuclear weapons worldwide and promoting integral human development.