Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle in Japan
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan sent out the message about the February 1-3 visit to Japan of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle to attend the 400th death anniversary of Dom Justo Takayama Ukon in Osaka on February 1, 2015.
Dom Justo Takayama Ukon was a Japanese daimyo who converted to Christianity in the Edo Period, gave up his title and property, and chose to live his Catholic Christian faith in the Philippines.
Sophia University Professor Takefumi Terada shared that upon his arrival, February 1, Cardinal Tagle concelebrated an evening mass at the Sendai Cathedral with the Sendai Bishop and Fr. Edgar Gacutan, CICM, the Parish Priest of Ofunato Church in Iwate Prefecture. The Cardinal's visit to Sendai reminded us of Pope Francis' visit to Tacloban. It was a very beautiful gesture to visit the church in Sendai because if you will all recall, Sendai was among the areas hardest hit by the 3/11 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. It was very touching to see the Cardinal prioritize and reach out to those affected by the 3/11 disaster. Photos shared by Prof. Fumi showed about a hundred or more of our Filipinos, Japanese, and other parishioners who joined Cardinal Tagle in Sendai.
Next stop Tokyo. Had Cardinal Tagle's mass at the St. Mary's Cathedral in Mejiro, Tokyo, Japan been scheduled on a Sunday, there would have been more Filipinos from all over Japan who would have travelled to meet and attend the mass with him. Yet, despite the Monday (February 2) 11a.m schedule and despite the cold, windy morning, still, thousands of Filipinos (more than 5000 by our count) and other guests from other countries travelled from all parts of Japan to join Cardinal Tagle.
The Cardinal, who is reported to be the first Filipino or the world's next future Pope, was received very warmly as he happily waved to the appreciative crowd with his two hands! In his characteristic smiling and soft-spoken manner, he made the crowd laugh when at the end of the mass, he reminded all: "Magpapakabait kayong lahat dito sa Japan, ha?" He also gamely challenged the singles in the crowd, the single males and females, to approach the priest and the religious sisters after the mass and register to become priests and nuns, if qualified!
A main thrust of his homily centered on faith in God and sharing this faith with others. The crowd felt his sincere reminder when he said, "I know many of you are here to look for work." Then he reminded each Filipino also "to remember your work for the Lord"- to share their faith with others where they are sent, where they are.
"Let us tell the world of God's love, the greatest love the world has known" was a song echoed by millions of Filipinos who were touched by Pope Francis' visit. The song was not sung during the mass concelebrated by Cardinal Tagle with about 10 Filipino and other foreign priests in Mejiro (including our own Tsukuba Catholic Church Parish Priest, Fr. Michi Chihara who studied under Cardinal Tagle in the Philippines!). The song, however, captures the important message of Cardinal Tagle in Mejiro - "share your faith as migrants, as Filipinos."
There are more than 200,000 Filipinos now in Japan (the third largest national group next to the Chinese and the Koreans). If they actively share their faith, this translates to 100 thousands of Filipino lay missionaries who can actively serve as witnesses of God's wonderful love!
Churches in Japan have been kept alive and active with the presence of foreigners, including the Filipinos. Cardinal Tagle reminded the Filipino parents to share their faith with their children as well so that their children will grow up realizing God's love for them and the children, in turn, will continue to spread God's love with others in the future.
The next day, February 3, Cardinal Tagle proceeded to Kobe to speak about the deepest bond of martyrdom of the faith between Japan and Manila - Dom Justo Takayama Ukon was exiled for his Christian faith and died in Manila while our own Lorenzo Ruiz died a martyr's death in Japan.
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