Japan Catholic News
December 2006
OSAKA DIOCESAN UNIVERSITY JOINS INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION, CHANGES ENGLISH VERSION OF ITS NAME
Catholic Weekly, December 17
Eichi University in Amagasaki city, Hyogo prefecture, is the only diocesan
university in Japan. On April 20, the university, run by the Osaka
archdiocese, will become a member of the St. Thomas Aquinas International
Conference, (IC--USTA) a worldwide association of Catholic colleges.
The intention of the change is to educate people who are able to take
an active part on the international scene. In preparation for joining
the conference, the university will change its English title from "Sapientia
University" to "University of St. Thomas of Osaka" effective
Jan. 16, when there will be a ceremony to celebrate the occasion.
IC -- USTA is composed of 32 Catholic universities in 25 countries
on five continents, all with a curriculum and educational policy based
on the thought and teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas. The conference promotes
team research, international cooperation and exchange among the members'
students. Students at schools affiliated with IC -- USTA can participate
in student exchange programs without having to pay extra tuition at
the receiving school.
Commenting on the association, Fr. Takehiko Oda, president of the university,
said, "Being international does not mean being fluent in several
languages. Fundamentally it is the ability to understand other races
and cultures and religions. A person of this caliber can make a real
contribution to peace. We will devote all our energy to educating this
kind of student. It is our hope that our graduates will make the fullest
use of our affiliation with IC -- USTA to widen their horizons
and bring their influence to bear on international society."
The university also plans to change its Japanese title in 2008 to coincide
with the introduction of a new academic curriculum.
CBCJ COMMITTEE ISSUES PAMPHLETS ON SOCIAL ISSUES
Catholic Weekly, December 17
The Bishops' Committee for Social Issues, headed by Archbishop Mistuaki
Takami of Nagasaki, has issued the second and third pamphlets in a
series dealing with freedom of religion and the separation of state
and religion.
On Nov. 26, the committee issued A Scrutiny of the Draft for a
New Constitution Drawn up by the Liberal Democratic Party and The
State and Persecution: an Historical Review. The new pamphlets are being
distributed to chanceries, parishes, schools and Religious congregations.
The first booklet in the series, published last October, was A
Review of the Catholic Church's Position before, during and after the
War; with special reference to the Decision of the Holy Office, given
in 1936, "Concerning the Duty of Catholics to their Country." It
was written to provide material for study purposes. It can be used
in conjunction with another booklet to be issued next year, A Message
Concerning Freedom of Religion and the Separation of the State and
Religion.
In the booklet about constituional revision, Bishop Daiji Tani of Saitama
sets out the Church's teaching on the separation of state and
religion and then goes on to show that the draft for a new Constitution
now being prepared by the Liberal Democratic Party will strengthen
the link between the nation and Shrine Shinto. It is also an attempt,
he wrote, to introduce into the school curriculum Shinto teaching and
ritual. He called for the present Constitution and the separation of
the state and religion to be protected.
Bishop Osamu Mizobe of Takamatsu, who wrote the third booklet, deals
with the persecution that took place starting in the 17th century and
examines it from an historical viewpoint. The national polity of the
time regarded Christians as political offenders with an ideology dangerous
to the State. It was this that led to their martyrdom.
"If there is no persecution at the moment," the bishop wrote, "it
may be because society's values are permeated by relativism."
Because the booklets are not for sale but distributed free, the committee
cannot accept orders. When the series is complete, the general secretariate
of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan will combine the
booklets and sell them under the one cover. The date of publication
is still to be fixed.
PILGRIMS FROM BRAZIL VISIT NAGASAKI
Catholic Weekly, December 10
 For 10 days, Nov. 5-15, Conventual Franciscan Father Shigeshi Matsuo
and 11 other Brazilian Catholics visited Japan to make a pilgrimage
to Nagasaki. There are about 1,400,000 people of Japanese ancestry
in Brazil.
The group first did some sightseeing in Tokyo, where they met with
Brazilian Jesuit Father Vendelino Lorscheiter who works in Japan and
members of the Japan Catholic Society for the Support of Overseas Missionaries.
Leaving Tokyo, the group visited Kyoto, Hiroshima and other places
on the way to Nagasaki. At each place local priests showed them around.
After reaching Nagasaki, the pilgrims visited Kurosaki Church and Shimabara
Castle in Sotome, then the Goto Islands, where they celebrated Mass
at Dozaki Church.
"I knew about the 26 Japanese Martyrs but I had no idea that so many
people had been martyred. What a difficult thing it must have been
for them to persevere in their faith," said one of the pilgrims.
When asked about their image of Nagasaki, members of the tour replied, "It's
the place in Japan where Catholicism began," and, "It's the
city that restored itself from the inferno of the atomic bomb through
its faith."
After returning to Tokyo, Fr. Matsuo, reflecting on the pilgrimage,
said, "What left the deepest impression for me was visiting Hisagajima,
one of the Goto Islands, where I saw the prison where Christians were
tortured."
He added, "The schedule was very busy and unfortunately there
was little time for the pilgrims to share with one another, but I think
they were able to learn the history of the various places, thanks to
having interpreters as guides."
"After returning to Brazil, we want to get everyone together so they
can share their pictures with one another," he said, looking forward
to further enjoyment of the pilgrimage.
FRIENDS OF POKHARA SUPPORT POOR IN NEPAL
Catholic Weekly, December 3
 About 200 kilometers due west of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is
the city of Pokhara. In the center of the city there are medical clinics
and a kindergarten for the poor, a school for mentally or physically
disabled children and other institutions supported by a Japanese non-government
organization called Friends of Pokhara. It was established in 1989
by Seiichi Kuramitsu, 74, a parishioner of the Kurayoshi Church in
Tottori prefecture. Kuramitsu has been to Nepal 27 times since then.
The organization just "happened," Kuramitsu told the Catholic
Weekly. Jesuit Father Akijiro Oki, 80, who taught for 10 years at Hiroshima
Gakuin, was transferred in 1977 to St. Xavier's school in Kathmandu.
Two years later, wishing to work for the less privileged, he moved
to Pokhara and opened a school for physically or mentally disabled
children.
In an article for the Hiroshima Gakuin alumni newsletter Kuramitsu
described the work Oki was doing in looking after a school for disabled
children and the sick who could not afford to go to clinics. Donations
came pouring in and the Pokhara Society was born.
Oki was mentioned in Agustia no Ha, a book by Masahide Aoyama, who
studied under both Oki and Kuramitsu. This became a further impetus
and resulted in donations arriving from all over Japan.
Everyone who makes a donation automatically becomes a member of Friends
of Pokhara and receives a report of its activities regardless of the
amount of the donation. The society now has around 2,000 members, most
of whom have never met either Oki or Kuramitsu.
One of the projects supported by the Pokhara Society is a day-care
center for children whose families would starve if the mother could
not go out to work. In caring for the smaller children, the center
also frees older brothers and sisters from baby-sitting so that they
can attend school.
Sisters of the Light of the Gospel Sister Toshiko Kawaoka runs the
center. Her congregation appointed her at Kuramitsu's request. The
center presently cares for 80 children and employs a local staff of
20. This means that almost one hundred families benefit from the center's
activities, Kuramitsu told the Catholic Weekly.
Friends of Pokhara follow the principle that donors' wishes should
be carried out exactly. Therefore, none of the donated funds are used
to cover office expenses, travel or communication.
Kuramitsu takes pains to ensure that the society's newsletters and
reports contribute something to evangelization. This has been responsible
for bringing some people to the Church and to baptism.
Since retiring from Hiroshima Gakuin, Kuramitsu engages in volunteer
work, such as distributing meals to elderly people living alone. He
also lectures in schools and visits nursing homes to read to residents.
In all, he participates in about 10 volunteer activities. At his parish
he takes charge of study groups and marriage preparation courses. Everywhere
he goes, he makes sure he brings Nepal to people's notice.
In a lecture to students at Hiroshima Gakuin Nov. 11, he told his audience, "Looking
at things from the standpoint of the lifestyle in Nepal, the poorest
nation in Asia, Japan looms as a giant economic power. And yet, can
we say that the Japanese, who have more than enough to eat, are really
happy?"
"Money," he continued, "is not a means to happiness. Take
another look at your motives for studying. If it is for your own gain,
it will not bring you happiness."
For more details, see the Pokhara home page, www.pokhara.jp/.
NAGASAKI MARKS END OF XAVIER ANNIVERSARY WITH COMMITMENT TO EVANGELIZATION
Catholic Weekly, December 10
 The Nagasaki archdiocesan celebration of the 500th anniversary of the
birth of St. Francis Xavier ended Dec. 3.
Xavier Year, which began last year on the Dec. 3 anniversary of Xavier's
death, ended with a procession and closing Mass in Hirado, a town that
Xavier himself had visited.
The day itself was very cold with the sun occasionally breaking through
the clouds to shine weakly. Pilgrims not only from Hirado and Nagasaki,
but from other dioceses as well, gathered for the procession. They
processed about one kilometer from the Koryo Hiroba in Hirado to the
Hirado Bunka Center. A statue of the saint led the procession followed
by Nagasaki Archbishop Mitsuaki Takami and the other participants.
Along the way, they recited the rosary.
After the procession arrived at the Hirado Bunka Center, about 1,600
people gathered for Mass.
In his sermon, Archbishop Takami asked why the zeal for evangelization
is not easily communicated to others.
He said, "St. Paul personally experienced that Jesus loved him
to the extent of offering up his own life for him. It was this experience
of being loved by Jesus that drove him to preach the love of Jesus
to others. If you really feel love, you will want to share it with
others. We have the mission of sharing the love of Christ with the
people we encounter in daily life."
The archbishop called on all to see this year of evangelization as
a time to let the fire of zeal burn in their hearts for evangelization
in Nagasaki.
After Communion, the participants expressed their resolve to reaffirm
their faith and become concretely involved in church activities and
the promotion of religious vocations. They reflected on the fact that
until now they had had no sense of having been sent on a mission of
evangelization. They recited an "Evangelization Proclamation" and
declared that they would set out on a new journey of evangelization.
In the Hirado district the 2006 Xavier Festival started Dec. 2 and
continued for two days. On the evening of the final day over 1,500
people attended a performance of the opera Xavier.
More than 60 local people, Christians and non-Christians, took part
in the performance. Several commented that practicing together day
after day provided a new place for them to have an exchange with one
another.
PERMANENT RESIDENCE, STATELESSNESS AND ASSISTANCE TO FOREIGNERS ARE TOPICS AT COMMISSION MEET
Catholic Weekly, December 3
Twenty-five diocesan officials and others involved in work with immigrants
took part in a Nov. 21-22 conference in Tokyo sponsored by the Catholic
Commission of Japan for Migrants, Refugees and People on the Move (J-CARM)
in the Catholic Center in Tokyo.
The conference collated reports from the dioceses and selected the
more urgent tasks to be tackled next year. One of these, set out by
the commission secretary, Sister Yukie Nogami, concerns the need for
a solid base to promote permanent residence for foreigners.
"It concerns the whole person -- the manual labor they engage in,
the make up of their families, their health and the medical care available," she
said.
"When employment conditions are poor, it is difficult to lead a settled
family life, and conditions are especially severe at the moment. This
leads to problems concerning children's education. All this has to
be taken into account when considering permanent residence," she
added.
The council reviewed the situation of Vietnamese refugee families who
came to Japan in the 70s. Sr. Nogami pointed out that although the
council gave them its support at the time there are still some families
who do not have permanent residence status.
Participants also discussed the problem of statelessness. Some resident
North and South Korean and Vietnamese families are in that situation.
Immigrants from Brazil also are finding themselves in a difficult position
owing to changes in Brazilian law.
Assistance to foreigners in jail or held in confinement by immigration
authorities was another problem looked at by the participants, who
decided to examine this in the context of overall assistance for foreigners.
Participants affirmed the need for "shelters," temporary
lodging for immigrants seeking refugee status, as well as the importance
of pastoral care for ships' crews and a greater awareness of these
needs on the part of diocesan officials.
Conventual Franciscan Father Shigeshi Matsuo, who has been engaged
in pastoral ministry in Brazil for the past 40 years, also gave a report
on preparations for the 2008 centenary of Japanese emigration to Brazil.
SPANISH JESUIT RECEIVES AWARD FROM EDUCATION MINISTRY
Catholic Weekly, December 3
 The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
has presented its award for outstanding service in the field of social
education to Fr. Felix Lobo, professor emeritus of Sophia University.
He is the first foreigner to receive the award.
The 80-year-old Jesuit taught for many years in the Foreign Language
Department of Sophia University, took part in NHK Spanish language
courses, served as board president of the Japan-Spain Association for
31 years and contributed greatly to cultural exchanges between the
two countries. In recognition of these labors the Spanish government
conferred on him the Order of Isabella la Cattolica.
The ministry's award was announced Nov. 28 and the award ceremony took
place at the Palace Hotel in Tokyo Dec.6.
Fr. Lobo resides at the Jesuits' Loyola House in Kamishakuji, Tokyo.
NAGASAKI CATHOLICS TAKE PART IN PROGRAM TO BUILD 'CHURCH OF COMMUNION'
Catholic Weekly, November 26
Four Catholics from Nagasaki were among more than 1,000 participants
at a conference to explore the building of local communities as a "Church
of Communion."
The Asian Integral Pastoral Approach (AsIPA), a program developed by
the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) to realize the
spirit of Vatican II in Asia, held its triennial assembly Nov. 8-15
at Maria Rani Centre in the Archdiocese of Trivandrum in Southern Kerala.
It has been in operation since 1993.
The theme of the Assembly was "SCCs/BECs (Small Christian Communities/Basic
Ecclesial Communities)Towards a Church of Communion." There were
276 participants from 17 countries in addition to 817 from the host
country, India. The total number of participants greatly surpassed
the 132 persons that attended the previous assembly. There were also
six participants from Germany, Switzerland and England who were interested
in incorporating some of the key insights of the FABC.
The meetings were not limited to rooms inside the building. At times
participants met around tables placed outside under the shade of trees.
Participants engaged in group discussion and Bible sharing in order
to learn to attain four objectives: to deepen their ecclesiology of
Church as communion; to review the implications of the Integrated Pastoral
Approach to determine what practical steps can be taken for nurturing
SCCs; to seek for ways to initiate and nurture SCCs and to enable an
exchange of newly developed materials and sharing of resources.
The Nagasaki delegation introduced the "Bible Reading Marathon" program
as one way to enable people to become familiar with the Bible. Hiroki
Nagano, a staff member of the diocesan Office for Promotion of Small
Communities, felt that Catholics had found the program attractive and
that they had responded well to it. He mentioned that a delegate from
Singapore had requested the materials and text of the program in Japanese
for use in forming communities for Japanese living in Singapore.
Father Mitsuru Nakamura, head of the diocesan Office for Promotion
of Small Communities, said that even though he had found language a
great barrier at the meeting, "I was able to get a deep sense
of the unceasing effort being made at the grassroots level to inject
life into the dioceses and parishes and to engage in evangelization."
He added that he was moved at the enthusiasm of some of the delegates
who had to travel for four days by train to get to the meeting.
Augustinian Father Mitaru Toyama from the Shiroyama Church in Nagasaki
said he had heard again and again from delegates of other countries
that "Japan has to find a way that matches the situation in Japan."
He said, "I think it is necessary for us to look at things from
the vantage point of the weak, for example those who find it difficult
to engage in sharing sessions, and then to revise our plans in this
light."
Nagano remarked, "One of the differences from the previous assemblies
is that this time the element of building a Church of communion was
added to the previous emphasis on building a participatory Church.
It is clear at this assembly that all of the delegates have reaffirmed
the aim of the AsIPA. I look forward to hearing how the various Churches
have implemented this at the fifth assembly, which will be held in
the Philippines."
The Nagasaki Diocese, which has participated in the assemblies since
the previous assembly, has been implementing the AsIPA program of building
small communities since 2001.
Nagano, showing his enthusiasm, said, "I want to learn from the
countries that have pioneered this program and then adapt it to fit
Nagasaki. Our steps may be slow, but I want to be persistent in my
efforts to implement this program."
An "Introductory Course on Building Small Communities" is
being held in Nagasaki on 10 Sunday afternoons from Nov. 19 to March
4 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Nagasaki Catholic Center. For information
call Nagano at 095-842-4450.
KOREAN AND JAPANESE SISTERS PAY JOINT VISIT TO CHINA
Catholic Weekly, November 26
A group of 14 Japanese and Korean superiors of women's Religious communities
that had been founded in their respective countries paid a joint visit
to churches and Church institutions in China Oct. 29 - Nov. 4.
The idea of a joint tour arose at an international gathering of women
superiors when superiors from Japan and Korea, who were in the same
discussion group, discussing "Living a Spirituality of Reconciliation."
Sister Yuriko Shimura, superior of the Miyazaki Caritas Sisters, who
participated in the tour, explained, "At two previous meetings
of the Japan and Korea superiors there seemed to have been a feeling
of tension, which made it difficult for the sisters from the two countries
to carry on a discussion due to their differing perceptions of history."
According to the nun, "Last year we felt that we would like to
overcome these problems and we began to talk about doing something
that would enable us to cooperate with one another for the unity and
reconciliation of Southeast Asia. It was then that we decided on this
fact-finding tour."
The group decided to make a joint trip to central and northeastern
China, where they a visited a tuberculosis sanatorium built with aid
from the Korean Church, a hospice where Korean Sisters and Brothers
are working, institutions for the handicapped, hospitals, homes for
the aged and such.
Sister An Myon Sun, a Korean member of the Miyazaki Caritas Sisters,
said, "I was moved when I realized that Korean sisters were serving
the Church in China. Also, I felt a sense of hope when I saw the deep
faith in the hearts of Chinese people."
She said that she saw many signs of the vitality of the Church. A poster
she saw in a seminary of the "open" (government-recognized)
Church with a picture of all the popes, the fervent prayers of the
people before Mass and the amount of energy being put into formation
of the laity by a Church with few priests and religious all inspired
her, she said.
Sr. Shimura remarked, "According to people there, the government
has approved over 60 Chinese religious orders. These orders have been
able to invite lecturers from overseas Churches to teach them about
the spirituality of their order. I was moved when I heard a sister
tell how, immediately after the government's strong oppression of religion
was lifted, she put her life at risk demonstrating for the return of
the land where a convent had been. The land was returned."
The Chinese guide who accompanied the group was not a Christian, but
after observing how the sisters were carrying out their activities,
he said, "Knowing now what wonderful work these sisters are doing,
I think I would like to become a Christian, too."
Foreigners are not permitted to engage in missionary activity and this
is the case for the Korean sisters working in China, too. They must
limit their work to serving people within these institutions. But the
Korean and Japanese superiors felt that "they are doing missionary
work through their attitudes and the way they live."
"
The sisters gained hope from the realization that, as Christians, they
share the same faith and also a similar history of martyrdom and from
the fact that they were able to cooperate with each other in this activity.
This fact-finding tour was just a first step, the beginning of concrete
cooperation. We will be looking at more concrete ways of cooperating," said
Sr. Shimura.
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