ASIA/JAPAN - Two Japanese and Korean Catholic dioceses become “sisters” to promote evangelisation and reconciliation

Friday, 9 September 2005

Kyoto (Fides Service) - Reconciliation between Korea and Japan is advancing with the help of small gestures of friendship and forgiveness from all sides. The Catholic Church in both countries is fully committed to re-establishing good relations between these former ‘enemy’ nations. Recently Cheju diocese in South Korea and Kyoto diocese in Japan have declared themselves sister-diocese to promote evangelisation and reconciliation in and between the two nations.
Bishop Otsuka Oshinao of Kyoto and Bishop Kang-U of Cheju signed the agreement after celerbating a bi-lingual Mass at Kawarmachi cathedral in Kyoto for a congregation of delighted Japanese and Korean Catholics.
In his address Bishop Otsuka explained that the sister-diocese idea came from the idea that “dioceses in Korea and Japan should form links for promoting an exchange of clergy and active lay people” as the Japanese and Korean Bishops agreed at the last joint meeting in Novembre 2004. The Bishops of these two countries have held interchange meetings regularly since 1996 to discuss pastoral practice and evangelisation alternating the venue between the two countries.
It was Bishop Kang who proposed the alliance with Kyoto in February this year. The Bishop who studied at the major seminary in Tokyo before he was rodained in 1974, addressed Kyoto Catholics present in Japanese and he said: “We should recall our mission to draw the general public greatly influenced by tension in recent years to encounter and join the People of the Kingdom of God a kingdom of love and affection”.
The dioceses have pledged to support each other in the mission of evangelisation praying together and holding exchange activities. Cheju diocese has 60,000 Catholics and Kyoto is smaller with 19,000. Another sister-diocese arrangement has existed between Hirshima in Japan and Pusa in South Korea since 2000 as part of a three-way relationshop that includes Infanta prelature in the Philippines.
To help dispel the hatred and enmity which grew between between Japan and Korea because of the events of World War II the Catholic Bishops of both countries have worked hard to promote mutual understanding and forgiveness by means of meetings between Catholic clergy and laity of both countries.
People in Korea find it diffuclt to forget the suffering caused by Japanese occupation 1910-1945, while the Japanse find it difficult to admit responsiblity for the horror perpetrated in those years.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 9/11/2005 righe 31 parole 310)


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