Japan Catholic News
July 2006
FORMER JAPAN JESUIT TRAVELS WORLD TO HELP BUILD HOUSING FOR POOR
Catholic Weekly, July 23
 For more than 30 years, Jesuit Fr. Jorge Anzorena, 76, has traveled
around the world advising poor people on how to build low-cost housing.
Since March, he has been in Japan, intending to stay until August.
"The most important thing for me is to go and find people who are doing
worthwhile work," he said.
Fr. Anzorena observes NGOs that are involved in home construction,
records how they operate and tells others about them. He tells people
in places he visits about what is being done in other countries: projects
to improve methods of sanitation, systems to borrow money, and so on.
He worked as the representative of SELAVIP (Latin American and Asian
Low Income Housing Service) and has assisted other organizations.
He says of himself that he is a "kind of grandfather." For
a long time he has been observing organizations which are involved
in building houses. These days they invite him to "come and see" the
work they do. "They show me some of the terrible conditions in
which they work," he said.
As a result of AIDS and HIV, the average life span of women in Zimbabwe
is 38 years. Even in such a desperate situation people welcomed him
with song and dance. In Thailand he met women who make a living by
selling flower necklaces. Even though their houses had just been destroyed,
they gave him gifts of flowers.
"Every time I go somewhere I feel myself change," said Fr. Anzorena. "I
think poor people have much more strength than I have. I could not
live on the side of the road. People with children, and no partner,
and no income. But they have a smiling face. It's amazing!"
Fr. Anzorena was born in Argentina. After entering the Society of Jesus
he came to Japan. He acquired a doctorate in architecture, and taught
human resources and the history of architecture at Sophia University
in Tokyo. When given time off for reflection, he went to visit Mother
Teresa in Calcutta.
"I got a terrible shock there. Although I had a doctorate in architecture,
I was of no use to people dying on the side of the street. I wondered
if as a priest and an architect was there a chance I could do anything."
After some reflection he spent two years working at the Human Development
Office of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC). He traveled
around Asia and reported on people being forcibly evicted from their
slum dwellings.
Starting this work was "very frightening" he said. "I
did not think it could go well. But when I got into it, I met people
who were doing wonderfully creative work. I met many people through
them. A new world really does begin again."
Along with delivering lectures in Japan, he is drafting reports including
the historical and political background to home-building issues. He
writes a book every 10 years.
"What I have learned has been useful in many respects. It is something
more important than just benefitting me personally," he observed.
NAGASAKI WILL BE SITE OF BEATIFICATION CELEBRATION
Catholic Weekly, July 16
The Standing Committee of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan
at their July 6 meeting in Tokyo chose Nagasaki as the venue to celebrate
the expected beatification next year of Petro Kibe and 187 other martyrs.
Bishops Ryoji Miyahara (Oita), Osamu Mizobe (Takamatsu), Yoshinao Otsuka
(Kyoto) and Mitsuaki Takami (Nagasaki) were named to the committee
that will undertake the necessary preparations.
The bishops also decided to organize and coordinate a fund raising
appeal that will start August 1 with the goal of raising 30 million
yen to cover the expenses of the celebration. An appeal for donations
will go to dioceses, Religious orders and Catholic institutions in
Japan.
CHURCH WEDDINGS FOR NON-CHRISTIANS PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR COUPLES TO REFLECT
ON MARRIAGE
Catholic Weekly, July 2 & 9
 Last year 1,640 non-Christian couples in Japan celebrated their wedding
ceremony in a Catholic church. This is more than the number of weddings
of Catholics with non-Catholics (1,577). Commercial wedding halls and
non-Catholic churches have popularized the "foreign wedding ceremony" in
Japan.
In countries where there is a large number of Catholics, non-Catholics
are not allowed to marry in a Catholic church. However, in 1975 the
Japanese Church received special permission from the Vatican to allow
non-Catholic couples hold their marriage ceremony in churches. The
purpose, as explained in the 1992 directive "Wedding Ceremonies
of Non-Christian Couples in Japan" of the Pastoral and Evangelization
Committee of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan, was "to
clearly show that the Church continually prays for God's abundant blessings
for the happiness of all."
The directive said that "the Church welcomes people who come seeking
the Lord's blessing on their marriage, an important event in their
lives, and conveys to them the sanctity and the significance of marriage.
Praying for God's blessing on the married life of two people
is in accord with the essential mission of the Church." It recommended
that a marriage preparation course be organized for such couples, and
contact with them be maintained after the ceremony.
Recalling the pre-marriage course she attended two years ago, Megumi
Kawanishi, 25, a non-Catholic, said, "A side of the person that
one does not see when just meeting socially comes to the fore, and
that is interesting. Often people cannot find much time to be together
before they get married. It was great to have a chance to talk about
these things together before we got married."
Kawanishi had to attend eight sessions of the course before having
her wedding ceremony in the chapel of a Catholic university where she
studied. After listening to the priest in charge talking on topics
like "identity" and "family life," the participants
broke into small groups for discussion. They had to write their reflections
at the end of each session and submit them to the priest.
In Hiroshima, seven churches participating in the World Peace Memorial
Cathedral Marriage Committee hold pre-marriage seminars at Noboricho
Church. Almost every month a new seminar is opened. Each session lasts
for one and half hours, and the series of eight continues each weekend.
Last year 11 such seminars were held and 45 couples celebrated their
wedding ceremony afterwards.
In the past, Noboricho Church held pre-marriage seminars with three
sessions. According to seminar helper Shogo Kimura, 62, a parishioner
of the Noboricho Church who with his wife Kuniko, 59, helps conduct
the seminars, they were started in 2000 because they "brought
to people the true meaning of the Catholic marriage ceremony."
Kimura added that participants say that "the beginning and the
end are completely different." At the start people ask "what's
the purpose" and feel uneasy, but at the end they have a sense
of affinity with those who conduct the seminar.
Along with the Kimuras, 17 couples take part in conducting the seminars.
One couple attends each seminar along with a priest. During the introduction
to the seminar they tell the participants that "the purpose of
the seminar is not to baptize people."
Isao Ikezawa, 57, of the Gion Church, explained the role he and other
lay people play in the seminar. "We assist the priest who has
not experienced married life and we are also helpers with the marriages
of the couples who attend. We do not just want to merely help with
the wedding ceremony, but wish to establish a deep relationship with
them."
Before attending each session participating engaged couples receive
a printout about the theme and are expected to talk with each other
about it and exchange opinions at the session. The theme of the first
session is "Encounter,"and the final one is about "God
and Prayer,"with topics such as "sex/adultery/divorce" and "work/family/budgeting" also
covered.
Kuniko Kimura said that in conducting the seminars, "We do not
just teach, but consider matters together with the couples. After thinking
things over carefully, there are also people who decide not to marry."
At the end the participants write their reflections on the seminar. "At
this seminar I felt we looked at things from the same viewpoint. We
learned the true meaning of love. We wish to nurture this together,"wrote
one participant.
Another wrote, "If there were no seminar I think we would have
gotten married without any doubts about each other. But it was an opportunity
to talk more seriously than before about our future together."
According to Ikezawa, "Meeting people with the same aim and who
are getting married at the same time is, I think, is a very good thing
for people."
Participants in the seminar sometimes attend each other's wedding ceremonies.
Each year those who have been through the seminar are invited to a "marriage
thanksgiving meeting" where people repeat their marriage vows
together. Some new couples form a close relationship with those who
have been on the seminar team and ask for advice on problems after
their wedding.
The text of the marriage ceremony at present in use in Japan is based
on the Latin version issued in 1990. There is a Rite for the Celebration
of Marriage Within Mass and a Rite for the Celebration of Marriage
Outside of Mass, and the latter is normally used for the wedding of
non-Catholic couples.
The introduction to the Japanese edition of the Rite for the Celebration
of Marriage says that it is intended for use in marriage ceremonies "where
both parties are Catholic, or where one is Catholic."
According to Toshimitsu Miyakoshi, 44, secretary of the Japanese Catholic
Committee for the Liturgy, "Catholics are the normal participants
in Church ceremonies,"so no version of the marriage rite was
prepared for non-Catholics.
"It was intended that the Rite for the Celebration of Marriage Outside
Mass would be adapted for use with non-Catholics,"he said. "The
most important part is where the couple promise to 'love and honor'
each other. Other parts could be adapted within certain parameters
at the discretion of the pastor, case by case."
The Japanese version of the Rite of Marriage contains the "Prayer
of St. Francis,"which is not contained in the original version.
It was included because it was thought to be suitable for Japan.
One sentence in the directive on the Wedding Ceremonies of Non-Christian
Couples in Japan gives some of the rationale for conducting weddings
for non-Catholics, saying, "we can believe that God who desires
the happiness of all men and women leads these couples to the Church."
BRAZILIAN BISHOP VISITS IMMIGRANTS IN JAPAN
Catholic Weekly, July 16
 Bishop Odilo Pedro Scherer, auxiliary bishop of Sao Paolo and secretary
general of the bishops' conference of Brazil (CNBB), arrived in Japan
July 5 to look into conditions among Brazilian residents here.
On July 6 he met with the eight members of the Standing Committee
of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan in Tokyo and exchanged
reports and opinions with them.
The purpose of his visit, the bishop said, was "to get to
know the Japanese bishops and the Japanese Church, and to meet
Brazilian immigrants and the people entrusted with their pastoral
care."
Bp. Scherer said that he had heard before setting out that there
are over 300,000 Brazilian immigrants living in Japan, and that "the
Church here is giving them every assistance but that there are
limits to what the Church can do." At the same time, he said,
he found it interesting that the immigrants were "making themselves
useful as missionaries and helping to spread the faith."
Bishop Scherer toured the Kanto and Tokai regions, visiting Brazilian
communities and interviewing people who look after their pastoral
needs. He left Japan July 17.
The CNBB has a committee for the pastoral care of Brazilians overseas
and this committee also serves as liaison in cases where assistance
is needed.
"There are one million Brazilians in the USA,"the bishop said. "They
are numerous in Canada and the EU also and of course they should
put down their roots there. But that takes time and they need assistance
until they can do so. The bishops' conference is always willing
to help."
"We have a lot of Japanese living in Brazil,"the bishop continued. "Priests
came from Japan to enable them to strengthen their faith while
maintaining a connection with their old culture. It would be wonderful
if in Japan also the foreign communities living here can express
their faith while preserving their own culture."
"I admire the Japanese," he said, "who have preserved
the faith brought to them by St. Francis Xavier and are now meeting
the Brazilian immigrants as brothers and sisters. I hope that the
immigrants, for their part, will always be open to meeting new
communities, accepting the difference in mentality; be ready to
share and work alongside others, and act as missionaries by a courageous
living of their faith."
Speaking of economic conditions in Brazil, Bp. Scherer said, "As
usual, jobs are scarce and wages are low. Brazilians love their
country but over the past 20 years emigration has been increasing."
"Brazil just now is enjoying an economic boom but the nation's
wealth is very unfairly distributed. The rich are getting richer," the
bishop said. "And the plans to redistribute farm land are
not going ahead. One must commend the government for increasing
food aid to the poor, but the assistance does not extend to increasing
jobs and helping people to become independent,"he added.
ELDERLY PRIESTS AND SISTERS EXCHANGE VISITS
Catholic Weekly, July 9
 Sacred Heart Sisters residing in a convent on the grounds of Sacred
Heart University in Tokyo invited elderly Jesuit priests to their convent
for lunch on June 27 to express thanks for many years of help and cooperation.
Five Jesuit priests from Loyola House, the Jesuits' nursing home in
western Tokyo, attended the gathering at the Sacred Heart Number One
Convent in Shibuya. The Jesuits were led by Father Hoan Ribera, 68,
the assistant superior of Loyola House.
"This is my first time here, so do not try and kidnap me," joked
Father Johannes Stolte, 92, upon arriving. His quip set a light tone
that prevailed throughout the afternoon.
The priests and Sisters sang and listened to music as they tasted homemade
cakes and sandwiches. Some were meeting again after a long time, and
the Sisters showed special kindness to priests who were physically
handicapped.
The idea for such a gathering was conceived three years ago when Sister
Sayako Kageyama, 74, the Sister in charge of the convent that houses
elderly nuns and Sister Taka Asari, 78, visited Loyola House to learn
about caring for the elderly. The sisters and the Jesuits began to
consider organizing some activity for both communities, and two years
ago started visits to each others' residences.
"[In the past] the Jesuit priests came to direct retreats and hold
classes for us. We are very grateful for this and wished to show our
gratitude
to them in some way," said Sr. Kageyama.
At present, 14 priests whose average age is 85 receive nursing care
at Loyola House. The average age of the sisters at the Sacred Heart
Number One Convent is 82, and 10 of the 28 sisters living there are
receiving nursing care. Caring for elderly members is an issue for
all religious communities. The Japanese province of the Sisters of
the Sacred Heart has 130 members, and their average age is 75.
Talking about the aging membership of her congregation Sr. Asari said, "In
the case of a home for the elderly, many people will come and visit,
but not so with a convent. Therefore, in order to share thanksgiving
and joy with one another, I think it is necessary to get together with
other religious."
Sister Keiko Iwai, 65, Japan provincial superior of the Sisters, agreed. "No
congregation has had to care for as many elderly members as we are
doing. There are no precedents to guide us, and in such circumstances
instead of developing ambitious goals and trying to achieve them, what
is important is to keep doing what we are able to do," she said.
At the close of the get-together the participants gathered in the chapel
for prayers of thanksgiving.
In the autumn, the Sacred Heart Sisters plan to visit Loyola House.
JAPANESE CATHOLIC ORGANIZES ATOMIC BOMB EXHIBIT IN BOLIVIA
Catholic Weekly, July 2
A Japanese Catholic and some of her co-workers serving in South America
with the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) organized an
exhibition May 20-28 of video and photos donated by Hiroshima and Nagasaki
to show the effects of the atomic bombings of those cities.
The exhibit was held in the town of Tarija, at the southernmost tip
of Bolivia.
Aiko Ono, a 33- year-old parishioner of the Shiroyama Church in Nagasaki,
was sent by JOCV to Bolivia in July 2004. She does development work
for villages in remote areas of that country. She and other members
of the group hold exhibitions wherever they happen to be stationed.
They call it "The Bolivia Peace Relay."
The Tarija exhibition was prepared by Ono and three co-workers.
"The background to the Pacific War is too complicated,"she explained, "but
the dropping of the atomic bomb and the devastation it caused are hard
facts. It is important that everyone should know them."
Before opening the exhibit they spent some time reviewing their knowledge
of the bombing. At Tarija, some 700 people came to the exhibit and
studied the photos of the mushroom-shaped atomic cloud and the cities
after the clouds had settled. Some cried when they saw the pictures
and the suffering of those who were caught in the blasts.
Ono said she was asked who had dropped the bombs and what the cities
are like today.
One thousand folded paper cranes, a symbol of peace, were made during
the exhibit and will be sent to Japan.
Ono pointed out that coincidently Bolivia's Independence Day is August
6, the same date as the Hiroshima atomic bombing.
ASIAN RURAL INSTITUTE TRAINS LOCAL LEADERS FROM ASIA, AFRICA
Catholic Weekly, June 25
 "I'm
the only Muslim here, but there's no hesitation to say I'm Muslim," said
35-year-old Mir Suraiya Ahmed Tutu from Bangladesh, a student at the
Asian Rural Institute (ARI) in Nishinasuno, Tochigi prefecture.
She added, referring to her roommate from Cameroon, "She's like
my sister. Sometimes she helps me get up."
Tutu and her roommate are among the 28 students from 17 countries in
the present class at ARI. The motto of the institute is "That
we may live together."
The institute started as an organization affiliated with the United
Church of Christ in Japan, and according to its mission statement it
aims "To nurture and train rural community leaders, both women
and men at the grass root level, in the love of Christ, to facilitate
self-development of marginalized people in order to achieve the building
of a just and peaceful society in which each can live to the fullest
potential, free to work together, sharing resources and abilities with
neighbors for our common good."
 This year's class includes 35-year-old Father Kochole Etienne Obossou,
a Catholic priest from Benin in West Africa. He said that meeting people
from different cultures changed his own outlook.
"I didn't know that chemical farming was bad," he said. "I
realize organic farming is a good way, and it is sustainable agriculture."
The priest added that by using such methods, the fertility of his country,
which has been damaged by chemical-based farming practices, could be
restored.
ARI's nine-month program begins each April and includes an emphasis
on organic farming and self-sufficiency.
However, Yukiko Oyanagi, 34, a staff member, stressed, "This is
not an agricultural school. It is a school of formation for leaders
in rural communities."
According to Oyanagi, even when the staff sees mistakes being made,
they do not issue warnings. They consider it more important to train
leaders who can reflect upon mistakes and learn from experience.
Hoichi Endo, a 61-year-old parishioner of the Fujisawa Catholic Church
in Kanagawa prefecture, is ARI's director of development.
"Weed control and such is important, but ARI can teach the importance
of sharing what can't be seen," he said.
The roots of ARI are in the 1960s work of a United Church of Christ
pastor, Toshihiro Takami, at the Rural Evangelical Seminary in Tsurukawa,
Tokyo. He started ARI in 1973 in response to the need in Southeast
Asia for the sort of agricultural development that had been the basis
of Japan's postwar economic recovery. In 1996 Takami received the Ramon
Magsaysay Award for International Understanding for his work in promoting
rural leadership.
 Though ARI has accepted African students since 1976, "Asian" remains
part of its name because Takami wanted the work to be in some way an
acknowledgment of Japanese Christians' wartime guilt.
Endo commented that having a variety of participants is important. "The
more differences we have, the better; it gives us more to share," he
said.
The average age of participants is 34. Most have high school educations
and have worked for NGOs (non-governmental organizations). English
language ability is a requirement.
"We want to train future leaders who have not had a chance to get sufficient
training," said Endo.
Among the students are Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Each morning
at 9:10 after they have exercised, done housekeeping, completed morning
farming chores and eaten breakfast, everyone comes together for a "Morning
Gathering." Each day's leader shares his or her faith with the
group as a way of developing the spiritual growth of all the members.
The gathering is also a practical experience of group building.
Contributions from individuals and groups provide the financial support
that enables ARI to conduct its programs and cover the travel expenses
of participants. Of the 30 salaried staff, two work full time at fund
raising.
So far, 1,046 men and women from 52 countries have graduated from the
institute, where they learned agriculture, finance and education with
the intention of putting their studies to work in their home countries.
A current student, Father Domitien Kabura, 36, who works with Caritas
in Tanzania, East Africa, said, "My work will be enhanced here."
Since the 1980s, in addition to providing emergency aid, Caritas Tanzania
has worked toward improving the economic condition of people.
Describing his experience at ARI, Fr. Kabura said, "It's been
a challenge, but it's a very beautiful challenge. We are living peacefully;
we eat, work, share together."
For more information, see the Asian Rural Institute website, www.ari-edu.org.
CBCJ DESK FINISHES OPERATIONS AS VIOLENCE RETURNS TO EAST TIMOR
Catholic Weekly, July 2
The East Timor Desk established by the Catholic Bishops' Conference
of Japan (CBCJ) finished it operations on June 30. Archbishop Jun Ikenaga
of Osaka, who was the bishop in charge, gave a final report on the
desk's activities to the bishops at their general assembly June 12.
The East Timor Desk was established in December 1999 by the standing
committee of the CBCJ to assist in the restoration of the Church and
society in East Timor, which were severely damaged by upheaval and
riots in September that year in connection with East Timor's
assertion of independence from Indonesia. The conference later decided
to keep the desk in operation until March 2006. Their office in East
Timor closed in March this year.
In his final report dated June 8, Archbishop Ikenaga expressed sorrow
over the events now taking place in that country, "tragic conditions
where East Timorese citizens are killing each other and setting fire
to each other's houses."
East Timor's prime minister dismissed more than one third of the army
in April, a move that set off fighting between security personnel that
later spilled into gang warfare, looting and arson that left at least
21 dead and forced 150,000 people to flee their homes. Australian troops
were eventually called in to help end the violence.
Yuji Omori, the East Timor Desk's liaison officer in Japan said, "Normal
social life has come to a standstill in East Timor, and the small community
groups we formed there have ceased to function. Many people have taken
refuge in camps merely in order to survive. Those who have not spend
their days in fear and trembling."
In looking back on the desk's activities over five and a half years,
Archbishop Ikenaga said they could point to a whole spectrum of good
work accomplished, including "assistance given to the fishing
industry and local NGOs (non-governmental organizations), taking part
in rebuilding churches in remote areas, helping to build up small Christian
communities and other activities."
He expressed gratitude for the donations that came from all over Japan
for use in East Timor. The final report contained a financial statement
and an explanation of the programs the desk had implemented.
Although the desk has ceased operations, Japan's bishops plan to keep
in communication and maintain contacts they built up with the people,
local NGOs and the Church in East Timor.
Along with the archbishop's report, the CBCJ also received "Third
Party Evaluations" of the desk's activities from Bishop Isao Kikuchi
of Niigata and Professor Akio Kawamura of Kobe Women's University.
Bishop Kikuchi's report included several suggestions, the first of
which was a recommendation that when undertaking this kind of work
in the name of the Japanese Church there should be a clear outline
of the CBCJ's responsibility.
Another recommendation was that when sending staff overseas, priority
be given to planning their activities, clarifying the purpose of their
mission and the approach they should bring to it. Systematic cooperation
with other Catholic organizations engaged in relief and assistance
work on the scene was another of the bishop's recommendations.
He also said that donors should be furnished with responsible reports
on the progress of the project and, finally, that lines of communication
with the Church in East Timor be maintained.
Eriko Toku, a member of the ground staff who worked in East Timor until
March, said, "Working through the desk, the Church in Japan enabled
local groups to cooperate with one another to achieve self-reliance
and break free of overseas aid and the trouble it involves. We did
succeed in sowing seeds of self-reliance and they were flourishing.
I feel that when conditions return to normal, cooperation among the
small Christian groups will begin again."
She added an appeal to all the people who have supported the East Timor
Desk to join with her in "keeping attentive to East Timor and
the evolving situation."
CARMELITE SISTERS SUPPORT THEMSELVES BY MAKING SLIPPERS
Catholic Weekly, July 2
"Warm, light, silent"-- this is the reputation that slippers
handmade by 14 Carmelite nuns at Mary Mother of the Church Monastery
in Yamaguchi city have enjoyed for 25 years.
As they sew, the nuns pray that everyone who wears their slippers will
feel the warmth of the love of God.
"Our mission is to pray. Prayer goes into the making of the slippers
also,"said the abbess, Sister Kiyomi Kobayashi.
"The whole day is a prayer; not only the time spent in the chapel -- housework,
cooking, resting -- everything is carried on in familiar closeness
to God and in solidarity with the people of our time; a service to
the Church and the salvation of souls," she added.
"Fortunately,"she said, "slipper-making lends itself perfectly
to the solitude and silence that are the special marks of the contemplative
life. We thank God for it."
A day in a Carmelite monastery revolves around Mass and seven periods
of prayer in praise of God. The slipper-making is conducted in a way
that does not interfere with this.
For two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon, the nuns
appointed to the task cut out, sew and glue the slippers in the workroom,
all in silence. Twice a day, in during the morning and in the evening
rest times, the nuns take needle and thread and put the finishing touches
to the slippers as they chat. The slippers move along from one nun
to the next in assembly line fashion.
In the early days when the monastery was founded, the nuns made their
living by baking bread, but as the years went by they wondered if they
could not find something more suitable for the older members of the
community. Hence the slippers.
They began by making slippers with cloth from old garments and the
finished product was sold only to acquaintances. Then the orders started
coming in.
Time and again the Sisters thought of closing their workshop but each
time they got a present of another bundle of material. Their only advertising
was by word of mouth but their reputation spread till eventually the
younger Sisters also took up slipper-making. Slippers had become the
support of the Yamaguchi Carmel.
Orders come from all over Japan, but the nuns make only the amount
ordered. They do not try to increase their output. Prayer comes first.
TOKYO ARCHDIOCESE SPONSORS STUDY TRIP TO OKINAWA FOR CHINESE, KOREAN AND JAPANESE STUDENTS
Catholic Weekly, July 9
As part of this year's annual peace activities of the archdiocese of
Tokyo, 18 young people from China, Korea and Japan visited Okinawa
June 9-12 to study its history, learn about the destruction Okinawa
suffered during World War II and see problems connected with the presence
of American military bases. Each year, the Catholic Church in Japan
conducts various activities leading up to the Aug. 6-15 Ten Days of
Prayer for Peace (Heiwa Junkan).
This study session was a follow-up to a symposium during last year's
Heiwa Junkan when young people from China, Korea and Japan talked about "how
are future wars being nurtured?"
Tokyo diocesan priests Satoshi Akaiwa (35, Hachiochi Church) and Ryota
Koike (36, Tachikawa Church), members of the organizing committee,
participated in the study tour with seven students from China, four
from Korea and five Japanese.
In Okinawa, Rev. Natsume Taira (43) of the United Church of Christ
in Japan Ufuzato mission station in Nanjo city led the tour on the
second and third days, during which they visited the sites of a number
of American military bases. The group also visited Hennoko in Nago
city, where there are plans to build another military facility, and
saw for themselves how much Okinawa is bearing the burden of American
military installations.
During the tour they visited war sites in the southern part of Okinawa
and walked among places where not only military personnel but many
civilians lost their lives during the conflict. To learn about Okinawan
culture they visited Shikinaen, a residence of the former Ryuku rulers
constructed in the 18th century, where the Chinese cultural influence
on the gardens conveyed to the students the close cultural contacts
with China.
"
I have visited Okinawa many times," said Fr. Akaiwa, "but
this time, listening to Rev. Taira, I saw how the problem of American
military bases in Japan has been forced on Okinawa, and how people
outside Okinawa view it as someone else's problem. I realized again
what people mean when they say that Okinawa is still in a state of
war, and I want people to know that there is a danger that Japan itself
could once again become like Okinawa."
Sr. Chu Chunse (41) of the Jesuit China Center, who assisted the Chinese
young people on the tour, said that "after listening to Rev. Taira,
I understood how greatly Okinawa suffered as the front line of war.
The Chinese students were saying among themselves that the Chinese
people suffered even more. So I would like people to visit China and
Korea also, and hope they will form an even greater dislike of war."
A gathering of the participants is planned in order to give them an
opportunity to share their reflections on the four-day trip.
JAPANESE PRIEST TELLS OF CHURCH THAT SIDES WITH THE POOR IN BRAZIL
Catholic Weekly, June 18
Father Haruo Sasaki, a 76-year-old Yokohama diocesan priest who has
worked in Brazil for 48 years, recently returned to Japan to celebrate
the golden jubilee of his ordination and spoke of the way the Church
in Brazil has sided with the poor.
Fr. Sasaki, who first went to Brazil to minister to Brazilians of Japanese
descent, has spent the last 30 years assisting people with Hansen's
disease and has been involved in the problems of poverty in San Geronimo,
one of the poorest districts of Brazil's Parana state.
"Wealthy landowners leaving the Church is a problem in Brazil. This
is something that began when the Brazilian Church became involved with
the problems of the poor," he said.
The greatest problem in Brazil, a Catholic country, is that the gap
between the rich and the poor is very large. One of the primary causes
of this is land ownership. The wealthy classes, who comprise only five
percent of the population, own more than half of the land. People who
do not own land are thus forced to live in extremely poor conditions.
In an effort to change this the bishops' conference of Brazil established
a special pastoral committee, began a campaign to collect one million
signatures, and succeed in having an article on "land and land
reform" inserted into the new constitution. This stipulates that
the state should purchase land that is not performing a social function,
repay the owners in installments over twenty-five years, and sell it
in lots to farmers who do not own land.
But since the Church became involved in this land reform, there has
been a sharp drop in contributions from large Catholic landowners.
According to Fr. Sasaki, "In the Brazilian Church up to now there
has not been the custom of people making regular financial contributions.
Once or twice a year a large festival was held at which cows and other
gifts from landowners were auctioned for funds for the Church. While
in country towns in Parana state 100 or 150 cows would be easily donated
by landowners for these festivals in the past, these days it is difficult
to get even 20. Because of this, more than 15 years ago a campaign
to support the Church was begun, and now the poor people are supporting
their Church. This is really how the Church should be."
One day a large landowner, about 45 years of age, came to see Fr. Sasaki.
He had been attending church since he was young and was active in the
youth group, but he said, "I am in favor of land reform. But I
do not want it to happen to my land. I know that if I kill someone
I will go to hell. But if someone sets even one foot on my land, I
will kill him!"
These words greatly shocked the Japanese priest.
"You can easily see that it is not possible to serve both God and money.
For these people land is life, and I felt keenly both the depth of
human greed and the strength of the attachment to land. These large
landowners and influential people oppose land reform and it is not
unusual for priests, religious and Catholics who support reform to
be murdered or threatened with death" said Fr. Sasaki.
In Brazil there is a national meeting of priests once every three years
and two priests representing each diocese attend. Seventy-five percent
of the priests at one of the national meetings Fr. Sasaki attended
had received death threats.
"Becoming involved with the poor through land reform means exposing
oneself to the danger of death. But the fact of the Brazilian Church
supporting such reform is great encouragement for us," he said.
Basic Christian Communities have been born among people who received
land. In Parana alone at present between five and six thousand families
living in camps are struggling to acquire land.
"The universal Church emphasis saving souls, but human beings have
both bodies and souls and there should be more emphasis on saving people
around the world who suffer from hunger, are sick, or are excluded
from society. The core meaning of the Mass is that Jesus shared the
last drop of His blood for human beings. This 'sharing' is what must
be stressed," said Fr. Sasaki.
DESCENDANT OF XAVIER'S FAMILY JET SKIS FROM CHINA TO JAPAN
Catholic Weekly, July 9
 To commemorate the 500th anniversary of the birth of St. Francis Xavier,
Spanish count Alvaro de Marichalar (45), traveled from China to Japan
on a jet ski and arrived safely at Tokyo's Umenoshima Marina
on June 28.
De Marichalar, a descendant of St. Francis Xavier's family, left
Sanchian island in China--where St. Francis died--on April
7, and went on to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. On May 20 he arrived
at Ishigakijima, his first stop in Japan. Then he called at Amamioshima,
Kagoshima, Fukuoka and other places where he received a welcome from
local people.
Coming to the end of a voyage of over 5,000 kilometers, de Marichalar
said happily "through what I experienced I understood why Xavier
liked Japan so much."
When de Marichalar arrived in Tokyo, another descendent of the Xavier
family, Jesuit Father Rujii Izumi (Luis Fontes, 75, Tokuyama Church)
came from Yamaguchi prefecture to bless him at the end of his voyage.
In 2002, de Marichalar became the first person to jet ski across the
Atlantic Ocean.
St. Francis Xavier landed in Kagoshima in 1549, and evangelized around
Kyushu and in Yamaguchi prefecture. After returning to India he intended
to do missionary work in China, but died on Sanchian island in 1552.
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