ASIA/JAPAN - Bishops' annual assembly agenda: Martyrs Beatification Mass, commitment for pace, Year of St Paul initiatives

Wednesday, 25 June 2008

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Tokyo (Agenzia Fides) – Putting the finishing touches to the Beatification of 188 Japanese Catholic Martyrs to take place on 24 November in Nagasaki; discussing initiatives to promote “Justice and Peace” to mark 60th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights; planning local liturgies, initiatives and events to mark the year of St Paul, was the busy agenda tackled by a recent general assembly of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan held in Tokyo. Participants included 17 bishops from Japan's 16 dioceses and representatives and members of various Bishops' Conference Commissions.
In view of the Beatification of 188 Catholic Martyrs in Nagasaki on November 24, the Bishops discussed in detail prayers and readings for the Mass to be presided by Cardinal Josè Saraiva Martins, from Rome, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
They also discussed local Catholic Church initiatives to mark the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights signed 60 years ago by United Nations Organisation, including a 'Peace Week' from 6 to 15 August and a special Bishops' Message “Building peace based on respect for human rights” to be issued at the end of 2008.
Another point on the agenda was '"The Year of St Paul" (28 June 2008 - 28 June 2009) announced by Pope Benedict and various respective initiatives. A package of material for reflection with the title “Learning from Saint Paul to evangelise present day Japan" has already been distributed to parishes, schools, religious houses across the country. The material aims to help Japan's Catholics draw courage from Saint Paul and learn from him how to use the Words of the Gospel to rescue the Japanese people from a culture of consumerism and secularism.
The Bishops' last task was to assess the results of a year long capillary 'National Evangelisation Initiative' aimed at revitalising missionary awareness and commitment among Catholics all over the country. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 25/6/2008 righe 29 parole 295)