May the massacre of the disabled "open Japanese hearts to the value of life"
The bishop of Niigata and President of Caritas Asia comments on the "mercy" killing of 19 people with disabilities in Sagamihara: "All of us can become weak in society. That's why we need to see God's reflection in every human being and work to create a real human family. "
Niigata (AsiaNews) – As I returned from Papua New Guinea ON the evening on 26 July, I found out about the mass murder of 19 disabled people in Sagamihara that morning. 26 more people were injured. I was deeply shocked to hear of the case and, more over, I was absolutely stunned to know that the suspect was justifying his action against disabled people as something to "save" them as "mercy killing".
First and most, I offer my sincere condolence to the family of victims and pray for eternal rest of those 19 people whose lives were violently taken away. And I pray that merciful God may extend his hand to those injured and to those terrified and give them consolation and quick recovery.
Probably there is no need to repeat the same points again and again but let me say it again. Based on our Christian faith, it is not for us to measure the weight of human life. It is only God, God who created our human life and gave it to us, who has right to do so. Who is allowed to continue to live. Who is worth to survive. Such judgments are not for us to make. If we do so, are we not too arrogant before the God who created the human life?
Moreover, God created us as his own image, therefore, all human lives has its own importance and value as the image of God. That is what we call the Human Dignity. Already many people have made their comments against the discriminatory judgement and violent action by the suspect over people in weak position in the society.
When we talk about the people in weak position in the society, it should be inclusive concept of all kinds of weakness and not only of physically disabled people. It includes those people discriminated as different or foreign, facing economical difficulties, facing health problems, facing obstacle of social systems, facing cultural barriers and more.
In a sense, all of us are facing or holding some kind of difficulties in the society and that means we all have potential to be a person in weak position in the society in one way or other. That is why we have to help each other. That is why we have to support each other. If we don't, then we, human being, may not be able to survive.
I hope through facing the reality of this sad and terrible incidents in Sagamihara, we all in Japan would have yet another chance to think about the meaning of our lives and value of the human life. Then, I hope and pray, we would keep in our heart the value of mutual support to create one human family.
* Bishop of Niigata and President of Caritas Asia
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