Vatican foreign minister lays flowers at A-bomb monument in Nagasaki+

NAGASAKI, March 15 Kyodo - Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican's foreign minister, visited Nagasaki on Sunday and laid flowers at a monument marking the hypocenter of the Aug. 9, 1945 atomic bombing of the city.

This is the first time that Mamberti, secretary for relations with states of
the Holy See, has visited Japan.
Mamberti, who is visiting Japan as an official guest of the Japanese Foreign
Ministry, visited the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum before laying flowers at the
monument in the Nagasaki Peace Park.
He said he prayed for the many people who had lost their lives in the bombing,
for those who lost their loved ones and for those who are still suffering from
the aftereffects of the bombing.
Mamberti said violence and destruction must not be allowed to continue, and
stressed the need for steps toward peace to create a future of sympathy and
prosperity.
During his stay in Japan until Friday, he will meet with Foreign Minister
Hirofumi Nakasone to discuss the East Asian situation, arms reduction and other
issues.