COMMEMORATIVE MESSAGE FROM THE 25TH KOREAN-JAPANESE BISHOPS’ COLLOQUIUM

Since our first meeting in 1996, we Catholic bishops of Japan and Korea have voluntarily visited each other’s countries and dioceses 25 times to provide opportunities for exchange.

We started these gatherings with the hope that, “Through sincere dialogue and various interchanges we continue to help the people of our two countries overcome our anguished history and advance together toward a bright future filled with justice and peace.” (Desiring Peace in Northeast Asia, 2017). Japan and Korea as neighbor countries have a history of exchanges of goods and people. We believe that by moving forward together with an honest review of history and a positive hope based on sincere reflection, the Church in this region can become “a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race.” (Lumen Gentium, Chapter 1).

Bishop (later Cardinal) Fumio Hamao, who was vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan at the time, and Archbishop Ri Moun-hi, who was president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, were convinced that the Churches of the two countries as brothers and sisters of the same faith, rather than representing the interests of their nations could realize the love and peace that God desires by building mutual understanding and recognition of the history of suffering. Therefore, they started this gathering. We express our heartfelt respect and gratitude to these two bishops for their efforts. In light of the purpose of the initial meeting, Korean History for Young People: Toward a Joint Recognition of History was published in Korea in May 2004. A Japanese translation was published in November of the same year.

Since then, exchanges have continued, and in recent years we have not only shared a common understanding of history but have also aimed to exchange opinions and form a common understanding of the various issues facing evangelization in our region and societies. As the exchange has progressed, the cooperative relationship between the Churches has deepened, and involvement of priests, religious and laity has become widespread.

The 25th anniversary colloquium event was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic the world has faced for the past three years. With the situation easing and exchanges between the two countries reviving, we were able to meet in Tokyo in November 2023.

Now we bishops of Japan and Korea are witnessing the reality that the world is being negatively affected by violence. Sadly, there are situations around the world that threaten God’s gift of life, and unfortunately we seem unable to find solutions. In particular in Israel, Palestine, and Ukraine, but in other parts of the world as well where many lives are threatened amid ongoing wars we once again call on governments to give priority to building peace, not violence. Political tensions in East Asia continue, and for the sake of stability in the region we strongly urge Japan, the South Korea, and other countries to exercise self-restraint and establish peace through dialogue without resorting to force.

The unstable world situation has created many refugees and migrants as many people have left their homeland to protect their lives. Many have come to Korea and Japan in search of safety and security. Especially in the last three years of pandemic, the world has become more selfish, exclusionist, and sometimes even violent. We call on all people to build a world in which no one is excluded, where all life is carefully protected as a gift from God, and where human dignity is respected.

We bishops of Japan and Korea will continue to deepen our exchanges, pray together, and support each other so that we can take the lead in bearing witness to the synodal Church and establish God’s peace in the region.

Bishop Participants in the
25th Korean-Japanese Bishops’ Colloquium
Tokyo, November 16, 2023