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Japanese Voice Widely Varied Views On Hopes For Ecumenical Council
(The following article is one
of a series telling what Catho
lics of various countries hope
will be accomplished by the
Second Vatican Council.
By
Father A. W. Bryson,
M. S. C.
(N. C. W. C. NEWS SERVICE)
TOKYO, “What are your ex
pectations of the ecumenical
council?”
Up and down Japan for weeks
1 asked that question of Bud
dhist, Orthodox, Protestant,
Catholic, and the man in the
street. The answers were as
varied as the individuals.
A man sitting next to me on
an Osaka-bound train came up
with the most original reply:
“The ecumenical council had
better strongly condemn the
testing and use of atomic wea
pons, or there soon won’t be
any people left in the world
to hold councils about.”
A Buddhist priest agreed that
the council would do much to
promote religious and interna
tional harmony, but added: “At
tendance by observers from
Buddhism and the other great
non-Christian religions would
make it even more effective as
an instrument for world peace
and religious cordiality.”
A puzzled Russian Orthodox
Japanese complained: “The
ecumenical council is both
needed and widely approved by
divided Christians. I’m disap
pointed that we, who are closest
doctrinally to Catholics, alone
have declined to send obser
vers.”
This man voiced his opinion
before the Russian Orthodox
Church sent two observers to
the council.
Protestants, traditionally un-
bigoted here, have widely ac
claimed the ecumenical council,
especially the idea of Protes
tant observers attending. The
council has been given favorable
news coverage in the two local
Protestant newspapers. The
emphasis is upon increased
dialogue and mutual under
standing, which they look to the
Second Vatican Council to pro-
Spiritual
Formation
Is Duty
SAN FRANCISCO. (NC) - The
biggest responsibilities facing
the Catholic laywoman today are
to realize her own personal
worth as a Christian, and to
achieve a spiritual formation to
help her efforts to raise the
moral level of society.
This message was brought
home by Mrs. Joseph McCar
thy of San Francisco, who last
month was named national pre
sident of the National Council
of Catholic Women.
Speaking at a press confer
ence after her return from a
month-long sojourn on the East
Coast, Mrs. McCarthy empha
sized the importance of “for
mation,” through careful study
and reading, in order that the
Catholic laywoman be prepared
to face the crucial moral issues
of our time.
With regard to the national
council’s plans for the coming
year, Mrs. McCarthy stated that
Leadership Institutes—training
programs for leaders of the
14,000 affiliated organizations
--will form a major part of the
national program, as they do
every other year.
A specific work program and
theme, however, will not be
announced until the NCCW exe
cutive board, over which she
will preside, meets in Washing
ton, January 20 to 25.
mote.
Catholic interest here is at
its height.
The Hierarchy, clergy and
Catholic mass communications
media have kept our Catholic
people here abreast of Council
developments. Dr. Tateno, pro
fessor of social science at the
Catholic Sophia University,
sees spiritual renewal and unity
as the driving force and central
theme of the ecumenical coun
cil.
“Travelling in Europe last
year 1 was most impressed with
the desire 1 found everywhere
for a closer union of its peo
ples, which has led to the EEC.
As I see it this kind of thinking
created an atmosphere warmly
sympathetic to the Holy
Father’s call for an ecumeni
cal council, to unite people in
Christ the world over. I assume
that the talk of more decen
tralisation of ecclesiastical
jurisdiction is consonant with
this desire for greater unity. I
had occasion last year to speak
in the major seminary and uni
versity of the Lyons arch
diocese in France on‘The heart
of Asia. The ready under
standing my words received
there convinces me that the
psychological needs of the Ja
panese and Asian peoples will
not be lost sight of in the coun
cil’s deliberations on the lay
apostolate, liturgy and Church
regulations.”
Professor Matsumoto of Tok
yo’s Keio University empha
sized the need for dynamic
reapparisal of the lay aposto
late in the council.
“The prominence of the lay
apostolate on the ecumenical
council’s agenda is heartening
to Catholic laity, especially in a
non - Christian country like
Japan. It will need more dyna
mic leadership, better organi
zation and human reorientation.
Catholics will have to cooperate
more with each other, and be
more charitable in their think
ing and approach to non-Catho-
lics.”
Mr. Anzai, distinguished lec
turer and Catholic authority on
comparative religions, had this
to say:
“We look to our bishops as
our fathers in Christ. Anything
the ecumenical council does to
increase and strengthen this
relationship will be particularly
beneficial to the spread of the
Faith in this country, where
the family bond is traditionally
strong.”
Priests and laymen pointed
out oddities related to Japan
which the ecumenical council
could take into consideration.
Some mentioned the matter
of Friday abstinence in a coun
try where eating fish is no
hardship, but the normal and
staple diet. Others considered
unpsychological the require
ment for the non-Catholic party
to sign premarriage promises
in this non-Christian country,
where face is so important and
one’s word is one’s bond.
On the question of more use
of the laypeople in the aposto
late, there was unanimous
agreement that this is greatly
desirable, especially in Japan,
but it was felt that only specific
directions from the Second Vat
ican Council could bring this
about.
Some favored restoring the
direct apostolic function of the
diaconate on the lines of the
early Church.
Members of the Hierarchy of
this land of ancient martyrs
have emphasized through pasto
ral letters, pulpit and press
the tremendous importance of
the Second Vatican Council to
the whole world, especially Ja
pan.
Peter Cardinal Doi, Archbi
shop of Tokyo, issued a special
pastoral calling all to pray for
the council’s success.
“Interest and zeal for the
success of the ecumenical coun
cil is not enough. Every bishop,
priest, Religious and Catholic
in Japan must pray and make
sacrifices daily.”
Bishop Paul YoshigoroTagu-
chi of Osaka stressed the uni
versality of the council in re
presentation, scope of agenda
and authority. “Races, nations,
languages, customs, different-
colored skins are all part of
the truly Catholic mosaic of the
. . .ecumenical council.
“It is of historic significance
to the Church in Japan, as it
Best Wishes
To
The Southern Cross
From
Oblate Fathers
St PauVs Church
Douglas
Greetings And
Best Wishes To
Our New Weekly
From
St. Patrick’s
Parish
Augusta
marks the first time that Ja
panese Bishops attended an ecu
menical council.”
Bishop Benedict Tomizawaof
Sapporo commented:
“The Second Vatican Council
may well be called and go down
The Southern Cross, January 5, 1963—PAGE 5-C
in history as the council of the
apostolate. This modern age
requires a highly organised lay
apostolate: we expect to come
out of the council with the
scaffolding to build it.”
Bishop Peter Arikata Kobay-
ashi of Sendai summed up the
feeling of all in seeing in the
call of His Holiness Pope John
XXIII to Christian unity the
Pentecostal spirit of the council.
“The ecumenical council is
not merely an assembly of
churchmen, but a coming down
of the Holy Ghost to inspire and
show the way to a united
Christendom.”
Best Wishes
To
The Southern Cross
From
St. Joseph’s Parish
Way cross
Best Wishes To
The New
Southern Cross
From
MISSIONARY FRANCISCAN
SISTERS OF THE
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
ST. MICHAEL’S
CONVENT
SAVANNAH BEACH
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From
St. Peter Claver’s
Macon
C^onarutuiciti
and
rom
Saint Benedict’s Parish
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