Japan’s crime rate hits postwar low, but report shows rise in child abuse, domestic violence and offenses by the elderly

Posted on November 30, 2019 by editor

The transition from Heisei to Reiwa came at a relatively peaceful time, with the nation’s crime rate falling to a postwar low in 2018, an annual white paper released Friday by the Justice Ministry has shown.

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What does it mean to be Japanese and Catholic? Pope Francis in Japan raises the question

Posted on November 25, 2019 by editor

For centuries, Japanese intellectuals, emperors, and missionaries have asked the same question: What does it mean to be both Japanese and Catholic?

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Schedule: Japanese OMI Traditional Christmas Gathering – Dec. 25-26-27, 2019

Posted on November 23, 2019 by editor

Dear Brothers,

The celebration of Christ’s Birth is only four weeks away. Why is this Christmas gathering so important for us as an Oblate Missionary Family? When we come together in Kochi for Christmas, we partake in a family tradition where everyone has a sense of belonging, sharing and focusing on Jesus’ birth. The Christmas tradition can be a powerful incentive for the Oblate family. For one thing, it brings us closer together. It allows us to spend time together making new memories while remembering the past and those who came before us. It allows us to stop our busy cycle of missionary activities long enough to reconnect and strengthen bonds, much like the traditional Japanese Bonenkai and Shinnenkai. In this spirit of OMI family tradition, the Christmas Organizing Team presents the following schedule for 2019.

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Archbishop Kikuchi of Tokyo Appeals for Japanese Society to Recognize that Life from Conception to Death Is Invaluable (from Papal Flight)

Posted on November 23, 2019 by editor

Archbishop Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi, Archbishop of Tokyo, warns some of his population risks extinction due to cultural standards and has made a strong appeal to recognize protecting life from conception to natural death.

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‘Work takes priority over religion in Japan’, says Oblate priest ahead of Pope’s visit

Posted on November 22, 2019 by editor

Ahead of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to Japan, an OMI missionary priest explores how the face of the local Catholic Church is changing and the challenges of preaching the Gospel where people give priority to work, not religion.

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From child prostitution to nuclear arms, Pope has a big agenda in Asia

Posted on November 19, 2019 by editor

When Pope Francis embarks on the 32nd trip of his pontificate Tuesday, headed towards Thailand and Japan, he will once again be visiting nations where Catholics are a small minority. In both countries, there’s one Catholic for every 200 people, as opposed to roughly one for five in the United States.

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Pope Francis is going to Japan and Thailand: Here’s what you need to know

Posted on November 19, 2019 by editor

Pope Francis returns to Asia on Nov. 19 for a visit to Thailand and Japan, two predominantly Buddhist countries where Christians remain a tiny minority. He goes to encourage the small Catholic community in each country, foster dialogue with the other religions of these lands and promote peace through a call for the elimination of nuclear arms.

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Pope Francis Sends Video Message to People of Japan

Posted on November 19, 2019 by editor

Below is the text of the video message sent by Pope Francis to the people of Japan on the occasion of his upcoming Apostolic Trip, November 23-26, 2019. In the video, the Holy Father stresses the theme of the visit, “Protect All Life” and suffering caused by nuclear war.

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Pope considering adding ‘sin against ecology’ to Church’s catechism

Posted on November 16, 2019 by editor

Speaking to a group of lawyers on Friday, Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church is contemplating the introduction of “ecological sin” to the compendium of Church teaching.

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Catholicism in the Land of the Rising Sun (and declining population)

Posted on November 15, 2019 by editor

Japanese Catholics are such a small minority—less than half of 1 percent—that sustaining the faith throughout succeeding familial generations has been difficult. When Pope Francis visits Japan this November 23-26, he will be received by a highly resilient Catholic community – one that endured centuries of violent persecution under anti-Christian leadership and, more recently, an atomic bomb drop on Nagasaki, the nation’s longtime Catholic epicenter.

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