“Remaining faithful to its religious and moral values, and open to the Gospel message, Japan could be a leading country for a more just and peaceful world and for harmony between man and the environment”. Pope Francis said this during his general audience catechesis in St Peter’s Square this morning. In his speech in Italian, the Pope focused his remarks on his apostolic visit to Thailand and Japan, which ended last night. The Pope recalled that, upon his arrival in Japan, “he shared with the bishops of the country the challenge of leading a very small Church, but which bears the living water of the Gospel of Jesus”. He then referred to the motto of his visit to the country “Protect all life”: the country, which “still bears the wounds of atomic bombing, is the spokesman of the fundamental right to life and peace for the whole world”. Pope Francis then remembered the time spent in prayer in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, where he met with survivors and family members of the victims. “I reiterated the firm condemnation of nuclear weapons and the hypocrisy of those who talk about peace but also build and sell arms. After that tragedy, Japan has shown an extraordinary capacity to fight for life; it has also done so recently, following the 2011 triple disaster: earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power station accident”. “To protect life one must love it – the Pontiff stressed -, and today a serious threat, in the most developed countries, is losing the meaning of life”. The Pope voiced this concern in his meeting in Tokyo with young people, who are “the first victims of this lack of meaning”. “I listened to their questions and their dreams; I encouraged them to fight together against all forms of bullying, to overcome fear and isolation by opening themselves to the love of God, in prayer and service to others”. Finally, he remembered his meeting with the country’s authorities and the diplomatic corps. “I encouraged a culture of encounter and dialogue, characterised by wisdom and farsightedness”.