ith great joy the Catholic community in Japan prepares to celebrate in 2007 the beatification of 188 Japanese martyrs who died for their faith in Christ. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference has appointed a preparatory commission for this major church event. The Commission charged with planning a series of initiatives includes Archbishop Mitsuaki Takami of Nagasaki, Bishop Ryoji Miyahara of Oita diocese; Bishop Osamu Mizobe of Takamatsu diocese; Bishop Yoshinao Otsuka of Kyoto diocese. The Commission is launching a funding campaign starting on 1 August in Catholic dioceses parishes, religious congregations, communities, associations and movements to collect the 30 million Yen necessary for
organizational expenses.
The Beatification of Peter Kassui Kibe and 187 companion martyrs of 17th century will be a good opportunity for Christian witness and
evangelization in Japan says Fr. Fuyuki Hirabaschi, secretary of the Japanese Bishops’ Conference. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome has already given its approval for the beatification and Japan’s happy Catholics now wait for the relative official Decree to be issued soon.
The local Catholics are certain that the witness and example of their own martyrs will be an encouragement to all believers in Christ and also for missionaries working in Asian countries. The beatification is an event that Catholics of Japan await with pride and joy. They are a small minority 450,000 locals and 550,000 Catholic immigrant workers from various different countries.
The universal Church celebrates the feast day 6 February of Japan’s Saint Paul Miki a Jesuit priest and 25 companions priests and laymen martyred in 1597 in Nagasaki and
canonized 1862, the first canonized martyrs in the Far East.
(From Fides Service)