ASIA/JAPAN - Archbishop Nappa visits Nagasaki and Tokyo: safeguarding the memory of the Japanese martyrs

Tokyo (Agenzia Fides) - On Monday, Archbishop Emilio Nappa, Secretary of the Governorate of the Vatican City and former President of the Pontifical Mission Societies, began his visit to Nagasaki, Japan, at Nishizaka Hill, where Saint Paul Miki and his 25 companions were crucified in 1597 while guarding their village. It was a busy program, alternating visits to some important sites in the history of the Japanese Church with equally significant encounters. "In Nagasaki," said Father Marco Sungsu Kim, a collaborator of the the Dicastery for Evangelization (section for the First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches), who accompanied Archbishop Emilio Nappa, "the delegation visited the new Cathedral, which houses some remains from the time of the atomic bombings, including the head of a statue of the Virgin Mary, and the Church of Oura, a so-called 'Minor Basilica' and co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Nagasaki, where Christians who preserved their faith until the 19th century were rediscovered."
Archbishop Nappa's visit continued the following day in Tokyo with a visit to the Shinseikaikan Center, founded in 1934 by Father Iwashita as a student dormitory named after Saint Philip. It celebrated its 90th anniversary last year and is currently headed by the Auxiliary Bishop of Tokyo, Andrea Lembo.
Archbishop Nappa recalled how since its origins, this center offered not only food and shelter, but also an education based on the values of Catholicism, at a time marked by rampant militarism. "Given the current dominance of nationalism and the many global conflicts, the need for people educated according to these values is becoming ever greater," Archbishop Nappa said. "It is important to share material goods with the poor, because in this way we can give each other the necessities of life and preserve our fundamental dignity as human beings created in the image of God. However, we must not forget to share the richness of faith with the spiritually poor. I firmly believe that special attention must continue to be paid to this aspect of the commitment to Shinseikaikan."
Yesterday afternoon, at a meeting with catechists of the Archdiocese of Tokyo, Archbishop Nappa recalled that the Catholic Church in Japan, although a minority in the country, nevertheless has an extraordinary history and a centuries-old tradition of martyrdom, distinguished above all by keeping the faith alive during the long years of persecution. In this context, Archbishop Nappa referred to the numerous armed conflicts, particularly in Myanmar, and emphasized the special attention paid by the Archdiocese of Tokyo and the Japanese Church to these peoples. "As former President of the Pontifical Mission Societies, I would like to make a special request to you: Do not forget to teach the Church's social teaching, both through the catechesis you live in your lives and in the catechesis you address in the classrooms to catechumens and the faithful. Your witness helps us walk the path of forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace. It is an important message of great persuasive power," the Archbishop concluded. Archbishop Nappa noted the support the Pontifical Mission Societies provide to about 1,200 mission dioceses in Asia, Africa, and Oceania, including Japan, and invited participants to take advantage of the presence of Father Joseph Naoki Momma, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Japan, to learn more about opportunities to support the work of missionary priests and local priests in mission territories. From Japan, the former President of the Pontifical Mission Societies will travel to South Korea, where he will participate in the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the Asian country. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 26/3/2025)

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