IT’S good to see President, Barack Obama entwined in a symbolic hug of peace and forgiveness with a Japanese survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, an act which effectively ended the Second World War in the Far East.

I assume it can only be a matter of time before we see the Emperor of Japan or the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, return the compliment by hugging a former survivor of their horrific prisoner of war camps. It may be difficult to find many, as there were few who survived the callous brutality of the camps, and those that did, returned home broken men with many never fully recovering.

Personally I rather resent this urge by our leading politicians to repent in our name for acts for which we are not personally responsible.

I think we should forgive when we feel we are able but we should not forget.

VJ Connor, Bishop Auckland