Ai vescovi del Giappone in visita «ad limina» il Papa ricorda l’eredità dell’attività missionaria e la testimonianza dei “cristiani nascosti”. I due pilastri (testo in italiano)
Cari Fratelli Vescovi,
Vi porgo un caloroso benvenuto in occasione della vostra visita ad Limina Apostolorum, mentre realizzate il vostro pellegrinaggio sulle tombe dei Santi Pietro e Paolo. La vostra presenza qui mi dà grande gioia, perché è un’opportunità per rinnovare i vincoli di amore e di comunione tra la Sede di Pietro e la Chiesa in Giappone, e per riflettere sulla vita delle vostre comunità locali. Ringrazio l’Arcivescovo Okada per i saluti che mi ha rivolto a nome vostro e dei sacerdoti, religiosi e laici della vostre diocesi. Vi chiedo di assicurarli del mio affetto e delle mie preghiere.
La Chiesa in Giappone ha sperimentato abbondanti benedizioni ma ha anche conosciuto sofferenze. A partire da queste gioie e dolori, i vostri antenati nella fede vi hanno trasmesso un’eredità viva che oggi adorna la Chiesa e incoraggia il suo cammino verso il futuro. Tale eredità si fonda sui missionari che per primi raggiunsero queste sponde e proclamarono la Parola di Dio, Gesù Cristo. Pensiamo in particolare a san Francesco Saverio, ai suoi compagni, e a tutto coloro che nel corso degli anni offrirono la propria vita al servizio del Vangelo e del popolo giapponese. La testimonianza a Cristo portò molti di questi missionari, come pure alcuni dei primi membri della comunità cattolica giapponese, a versare il proprio sangue e, attraverso quel sacrificio, recò molte benedizioni alla Chiesa, rafforzando la fede del popolo. Ricordiamo in particolare san Paolo Miki e i suoi compagni, la cui salda fede in mezzo alle persecuzioni divenne un incoraggiamento per la piccola comunità cristiana a perseverare in ogni prova.
Quest’anno celebrate un altro aspetto di questa ricca eredità, ossia la comparsa dei “cristiani nascosti”. Anche quando tutti i missionari laici e i sacerdoti vennero espulsi dal paese, la fede della comunità cristiana non si raffreddò. Anzi, i tizzoni della fede che lo Spirito Santo accese attraverso la predicazione di quegli evangelizzatori e sostenne con la testimonianza dei martiri restarono al sicuro, grazie alla sollecitudine dei fedeli laici che conservarono la vita di preghiera e di catechesi della comunità cattolica in una situazione di grande pericolo e di persecuzione.
Questi due pilastri della storia cattolica in Giappone, l’attività missionaria e i “cristiani nascosti”, continuano a sostenere la vita della Chiesa oggi e offrono una guida per vivere la fede. In ogni tempo e in ogni luogo, la Chiesa resta una Chiesa missionaria, che si sforza di evangelizzare e di fare discepoli in tutte le nazioni, e al contempo arricchisce continuamente la fede della comunità dei credenti e instilla in loro la responsabilità di alimentare questa fede a casa e nella società.
Mi unisco a voi nell’esprimere profonda gratitudine ai numerosi missionari che cooperano ancora oggi con le vostre diocesi. In collaborazione con i sacerdoti e i religiosi locali, come pure con i responsabili laici, contribuiscono generosamente a soddisfare i bisogni, non solo della comunità cattolica, ma anche della società in senso più ampio. Oltre a sostenere i loro diversi sforzi di evangelizzazione, vi incoraggio anche a essere attenti ai loro bisogni spirituali e umani, di modo che non si scoraggino nel loro servizio, ma perseverino nei loro impegni. Possiate altresì guidarli nella comprensione delle usanze del popolo giapponese, cosicché possano essere sempre più servi efficaci del Vangelo, e cercare insieme nuovi modi di evangelizzare la cultura (cfr.Evangelii gaudium, n. 69).
L’opera di evangelizzazione non è però responsabilità solo di quanti lasciano la propria casa e vanno in terre lontane a predicare il Vangelo. Di fatto, attraverso il nostro battesimo, siamo tutti chiamati a essere evangelizzatori e a testimoniare la Buona Novella di Gesù ovunque siamo (Mt 28, 19-20).
Siamo chiamati ad andare oltre, a essere una comunità evangelizzatrice, anche se ciò significa semplicemente aprire la porta principale della nostra casa e uscire per incontrare i nostri vicini. “La comunità evangelizzatrice si mette mediante opere e gesti nella vita quotidiana degli altri, accorcia le distanze, si abbassa fino all’umiliazione se è necessario, e assume la vita umana, toccando la carne sofferente di Cristo nel popolo. Gli evangelizzatori hanno così «odore di pecore” e queste ascoltano la loro voce» (Evangelii gaudium, n. 24). Anche se la comunità cattolica è piccola, le vostre Chiese particolari sono apprezzate dalla società giapponese per i loro numerosi contributi, nati dalla vostra identità cristiana, che serve le persone indipendentemente dalla loro religione. Vi elogio per i vostri numerosi sforzi nei campi dell’educazione, della salute, del servizio agli anziani, ai malati e ai disabili, e per le vostre opere caritative, che sono state particolarmente importanti in occasione della tragica devastazione provocata dal terremoto e dallo tsunami quattro anni fa. Esprimo anche profondo apprezzamento per le vostre iniziative a favore della pace soprattutto i vostri sforzi per conservare di fronte al mondo l’immensa sofferenza provata dal popolo di Hiroshima e Nagasaki alla fine della Seconda guerra mondiale, settanta anni fa. In tutte queste opere, non solo soddisfate i bisogni della comunità, ma create anche opportunità di dialogo tra la Chiesa e la società. Tale dialogo è particolarmente importante perché favorisce la comprensione reciproca e promuove una maggiore cooperazione per il bene comune. Apre inoltre nuove vie alla predicazione del Vangelo e invita coloro che serviamo a incontrarsi con Gesù Cristo. Che possiamo non rifuggire mai dal predicare il Vangelo e, mediante le nostre buone opere, testimoniare Cristo (cfr. Gc 2, 18).
Se i vostri sforzi missionari devono recare frutti, l’esempio dei “cristiani nascosti” ha molto da insegnarci. Pur essendo pochi e pur dovendo affrontare ogni giorno persecuzioni, quei credenti furono capaci di conservare la fede restando attenti al loro rapporto personale con Gesù, un rapporto costruito su una solida vita di preghiera e su un impegno sincero a favore del bene della comunità. La Chiesa oggi è analogamente rafforzata, e i suoi sforzi di evangelizzazione diventano effettivi quando la sua fede è ancorata al rapporto personale con Cristo e supportata dalle comunità parrocchiali ed ecclesiali che li accompagnano quotidianamente.
Anche se i “cristiani nascosti” non ebbero il beneficio della piena vita sacramentale della Chiesa, oggi le vostre Chiese particolari beneficiano del ministero di molti sacerdoti devoti che servono i bisogni spirituali dei fedeli. Si esige però molto da loro e le numerose responsabilità che hanno, spesso li allontanano dalle stesse persone che dovrebbero servire. Vi esorto a lavorare con i vostri sacerdoti per assicurare che abbiano il tempo e la libertà necessarie per essere disponibili per quanti sono stati affidati alle loro cure. Perché possano essere efficaci nel proclamare il Vangelo, vi chiedo di rivolgere un’attenzione particolare alla loro formazione umana e spirituale, non solo mentre sono in seminario, ma durante tutta la loro vita. Possano i vostri sacerdoti vedere in voi sia un padre che è sempre disponibile per i suoi figli, sia un fratello che resta sempre al loro fianco per condividere le gioie e le difficoltà della vita. Questa forte testimonianza di fratellanza e di comunione tra i vescovi e i loro sacerdoti aiuterà i giovani a discernere più facilmente e ad accettare la chiamata al sacerdozio.
Le vostre comunità sono ulteriormente rafforzate dalla testimonianza di religiosi e religiose la cui consacrazione prefigura la nuova Gerusalemme in cielo e i cui apostolati sono al servizio dell’edificazione del Regno di Cristo in terra (Ap 21, 1-2). Mi unisco a voi anche nel ringraziare il Signore per il dono della vita religiosa in Giappone, per quanti provengono dall’estero e per quelli che vengono dalle vostre comunità locali. In unione con i vostri sacerdoti e responsabili laici, servono generosamente la Chiesa in Giappone e offrono alla società i frutti della loro fede. Che essi possano avere sempre il vostro sostegno e che voi possiate cercare nuove opportunità di cooperazione nell’opera apostolica.
I “cristiani nascosti” del Giappone ci ricordano che l’opera per promuovere la vita della Chiesa e dell’evangelizzazione richiede la partecipazione piena ed attiva dei laici. La loro missione è duplice: impegnarsi nella vita della parrocchia e della Chiesa particolare e permeare l’ordine sociale con la loro testimonianza cristiana. Questa missione si compie soprattutto in famiglia, dove la fede accompagna ogni fase della vita e illumina tutti i nostri rapporti in società (cfr. Lumen fidei, nn. 53-54). Quando rivolgiamo la nostra attenzione e le nostre risorse al sostegno della famiglia, a cominciare dalla preparazione matrimoniale e continuando con la catechesi in ogni fase della vita, arricchiamo le nostre parrocchie e le nostre Chiese particolari. In tal modo anche le nostre società e le nostre culture vengono permeate con la fragranza del Vangelo. Attraverso la testimonianza dei fedeli giapponesi «la Chiesa esprime la sua autentica cattolicità e mostra “la bellezza di questo volto pluriforme”» (Evangelii gaudium, n. 116). Così, spesso, quando questa testimonianza ci sembra carente, non è perché i fedeli non vogliono essere discepoli missionari, ma piuttosto perché si ritengono incapaci di tale compito. Vi incoraggio in quanto Pastori a instillare in essi un profondo apprezzamento della loro chiamata e a offrire loro espressioni concrete di sostegno e di guida, cosicché possano rispondere a questa chiamata con generosità e coraggio.
Cari Fratelli, vi ringrazio per la testimonianza cristiana che voi e le vostre Chiese particolari offrite ogni giorno. Con questi pensieri, vi affido all’intercessione di Maria, Madre della Chiesa, e vi imparto di cuore la mia Benedizione Apostolica, come pegno di pace e gioia nel Signore.
L'Osservatore Romano
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Visita “ad Limina Apostolorum” dei Presuli della Conferenza Episcopale del Giappone. Discorso di Papa Francesco (testo in inglese)
Sala stampa della Santa Sede
Alle ore 9.45 di questa mattina, il Santo Padre Francesco ha ricevuto in Udienza i Vescovi della Conferenza Episcopale del Giappone, in occasione della Visita "ad Limina Apostolorum". Pubblichiamo di seguito il testo del discorso che il Papa ha consegnato ai Presuli nel corso dell’incontro:
Discorso del Santo Padre
Dear Brother Bishops,
I offer you a warm welcome on the occasion of your Visit ad Limina Apostolorum, as you make your pilgrimage to the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul. Your presence here brings me great joy, for this is an opportunity to renew the bonds of love and communion between the See of Peter and the Church in Japan, and to reflect on the life of your local communities. I am grateful to Archbishop Okada for the greetings offered in your name and that of the priests, religious and lay faithful of your dioceses. I ask you to offer them the assurance of my affection and prayers.
The Church in Japan has experienced abundant blessings but has equally known suffering. From those joys and sorrows, your ancestors in the faith have bequeathed to you a living heritage that adorns the Church today and encourages her journey toward the future. This heritage is rooted in the missionaries who first reached your shores and proclaimed the Word of God, Jesus Christ. We think especially of Saint Francis Xavier, his companions, and all those who through the years offered their lives in service of the Gospel and the Japanese people. For many of these missionaries, as well as for some of the first members of the Japanese Catholic community, their witness to Christ led to the shedding of their blood and, through this sacrifice, brought many blessings to the Church, strengthening the faith of the people. We recall especially Saint Paul Miki and companions whose steadfast faith in the midst of persecution became an encouragement for the small Christian community to persevere in every trial.
This year you celebrate another facet of this rich heritage – the emergence of the “hidden Christians”. Even when all lay missionaries and priests had been expelled from the country, the faith of the Christian community did not grow cold. Rather, the embers of faith which the Holy Spirit ignited through the preaching of these evangelizers and sustained by the witness of the martyrs were kept safe, through the care of the lay faithful who maintained the Catholic community’s life of prayer and catechesis in the midst of great danger and persecution.
These two pillars of Catholic history in Japan, missionary activity and the “hidden Christians”, continue to support the life of the Church today, and offer a guide to living the faith. In every age and land, the Church remains a missionary Church, seeking to evangelize and make disciples of all nations, while continually enriching the faith of the community of believers and instilling in them the responsibility to nurture this faith in the home and society.
I join with you in expressing deep gratitude to the many missionaries who contribute even now to your dioceses. In cooperation with local priests and religious, as well as lay leaders, they generously assist in meeting the needs, not only of the Catholic community, but the broader society as well. In addition to supporting their various efforts of evangelization, I encourage you also to be attentive to their spiritual and human needs so that they do not become discouraged in their service but persevere in their labors. May you also offer them guidance in understanding the customs of the Japanese people, so that they may be ever more effective servants of the Gospel, and together seek new ways of evangelizing the culture (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 69).
The work of evangelization, however, is not the sole responsibility of those who leave their homes and go to distant lands to preach the Gospel. In fact, by our baptism, we are all called to be evangelizers and to witness to the Good News of Jesus wherever we are (Mt 28:19-20). We are called to go forth, to be an evangelizing community, even if that simply means opening the front door of our homes and stepping out into our own neighborhoods. “An evangelizing community gets involved by word and deed in people’s daily lives; it bridges distances, it is willing to abase itself if necessary, and it embraces human life, touching the suffering flesh of Christ in others. Evangelizers thus take on the ‘smell of the sheep’ and the sheep are willing to hear their voice” (Evangelii Gaudium, 24). Though the Catholic community is small, your local Churches are esteemed by Japanese society for your many contributions, born of your Christian identity, which serve people regardless of religion. I commend your many efforts in the fields of education, healthcare, service to the elderly, infirm, and handicapped, and your charitable works which have been especially important in response to the tragic devastation wrought by the earthquake and tsunami four years ago. So too I express deep appreciation for your initiatives in favor of peace, especially your efforts to keep before the world the immense suffering experienced by the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the Second World War seventy years ago. In all of these works, you not only meet the needs of the community, but you also create opportunities for dialogue between the Church and society. Such dialogue is especially important, for it fosters mutual understanding and promotes greater cooperation for the common good. But it also opens new avenues to preaching the Gospel and inviting those whom we serve to an encounter with Jesus Christ. May we never shy away from preaching the Gospel and, by our good works, witnessing to Christ (cf. Jas 2:18).
If our missionary efforts are to bear fruit, the example of the “hidden Christians” has much to teach us. Though small in number and daily facing persecution, these believers were able to preserve the faith by being attentive to their personal relationship with Jesus, a relationship built on a solid prayer life and a sincere commitment to the welfare of the community. The Church today, likewise, is strengthened and her evangelization efforts are made effective when her faithful are anchored in a personal relationship with Christ and supported by parish and ecclesial communities which accompany them daily.
Though the “hidden Christians” did not have the benefit of the full sacramental life of the Church, today your local Churches enjoy the ministry of many dedicated priests who serve the spiritual needs of the faithful. The demands placed on them are great, however, and their numerous responsibilities often take them away from the very people they are intended to serve. I urge you to work with your priests to ensure that they have the time and freedom needed to be available to those entrusted to their care. So that they may be effective in proclaiming the Gospel, I ask you to give particular attention to their human and spiritual formation, not only while in seminary, but throughout the whole of their lives. May your priests see in you both a father who is ever available to his sons, and a brother who remains always at their side to share the happiness and difficulties of their lives. This strong witness of fraternity and communion between Bishops and their priests will help young men to more easily discern and take up the call to priesthood.
Your communities are further strengthened by the witness of religious men and women whose consecration prefigures the new Jerusalem in heaven and whose apostolates serve the building up of Christ’s Kingdom on earth (Rev 21:1-2). I also join you in thanking the Lord for the gift of religious life in Japan, for those from abroad and for those from your local communities. In union with your priests and lay leaders, they generously serve the Church in Japan and offer to society the fruits of their faith. May they always know your support, and may you seek new opportunities for cooperation in apostolic works.
The “hidden Christians” of Japan remind us that the work of fostering the life of the Church and of evangelizing require the full and active participation of the lay faithful. Their mission is twofold: to engage in the life of the parish and local Church, and to permeate the social order with their Christian witness. This mission is accomplished above all in the family, where faith accompanies every age of life and enlightens all our relationships in society (cf. Lumen Fidei, 53-54). When we give our attention and resources to supporting the family, beginning with marriage preparation and continuing with catechesis for all stages of life, we enrich our parishes and local Churches. So too, our societies and cultures are permeated with the fragrance of the Gospel. Through the witness of the Japanese faithful, “the Church expresses her genuine catholicity and shows forth the ‘beauty of her varied face’” (Evangelii Gaudium, 116). So often, when we find this witness lacking, it is not because the faithful do not want to be missionary disciples, but rather because they think themselves incapable of the task. I encourage you as Pastors to instill in them a deep appreciation of their calling and to offer them concrete expressions of support and guidance so that they may answer this call with generosity and courage.
Dear Brothers, I thank you for the Christian witness which you and your local Churches daily provide. With these thoughts, I entrust you to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, and I willingly extend my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace and joy in the Lord.
Discorso del Santo Padre
Dear Brother Bishops,
I offer you a warm welcome on the occasion of your Visit ad Limina Apostolorum, as you make your pilgrimage to the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul. Your presence here brings me great joy, for this is an opportunity to renew the bonds of love and communion between the See of Peter and the Church in Japan, and to reflect on the life of your local communities. I am grateful to Archbishop Okada for the greetings offered in your name and that of the priests, religious and lay faithful of your dioceses. I ask you to offer them the assurance of my affection and prayers.
The Church in Japan has experienced abundant blessings but has equally known suffering. From those joys and sorrows, your ancestors in the faith have bequeathed to you a living heritage that adorns the Church today and encourages her journey toward the future. This heritage is rooted in the missionaries who first reached your shores and proclaimed the Word of God, Jesus Christ. We think especially of Saint Francis Xavier, his companions, and all those who through the years offered their lives in service of the Gospel and the Japanese people. For many of these missionaries, as well as for some of the first members of the Japanese Catholic community, their witness to Christ led to the shedding of their blood and, through this sacrifice, brought many blessings to the Church, strengthening the faith of the people. We recall especially Saint Paul Miki and companions whose steadfast faith in the midst of persecution became an encouragement for the small Christian community to persevere in every trial.
This year you celebrate another facet of this rich heritage – the emergence of the “hidden Christians”. Even when all lay missionaries and priests had been expelled from the country, the faith of the Christian community did not grow cold. Rather, the embers of faith which the Holy Spirit ignited through the preaching of these evangelizers and sustained by the witness of the martyrs were kept safe, through the care of the lay faithful who maintained the Catholic community’s life of prayer and catechesis in the midst of great danger and persecution.
These two pillars of Catholic history in Japan, missionary activity and the “hidden Christians”, continue to support the life of the Church today, and offer a guide to living the faith. In every age and land, the Church remains a missionary Church, seeking to evangelize and make disciples of all nations, while continually enriching the faith of the community of believers and instilling in them the responsibility to nurture this faith in the home and society.
I join with you in expressing deep gratitude to the many missionaries who contribute even now to your dioceses. In cooperation with local priests and religious, as well as lay leaders, they generously assist in meeting the needs, not only of the Catholic community, but the broader society as well. In addition to supporting their various efforts of evangelization, I encourage you also to be attentive to their spiritual and human needs so that they do not become discouraged in their service but persevere in their labors. May you also offer them guidance in understanding the customs of the Japanese people, so that they may be ever more effective servants of the Gospel, and together seek new ways of evangelizing the culture (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 69).
The work of evangelization, however, is not the sole responsibility of those who leave their homes and go to distant lands to preach the Gospel. In fact, by our baptism, we are all called to be evangelizers and to witness to the Good News of Jesus wherever we are (Mt 28:19-20). We are called to go forth, to be an evangelizing community, even if that simply means opening the front door of our homes and stepping out into our own neighborhoods. “An evangelizing community gets involved by word and deed in people’s daily lives; it bridges distances, it is willing to abase itself if necessary, and it embraces human life, touching the suffering flesh of Christ in others. Evangelizers thus take on the ‘smell of the sheep’ and the sheep are willing to hear their voice” (Evangelii Gaudium, 24). Though the Catholic community is small, your local Churches are esteemed by Japanese society for your many contributions, born of your Christian identity, which serve people regardless of religion. I commend your many efforts in the fields of education, healthcare, service to the elderly, infirm, and handicapped, and your charitable works which have been especially important in response to the tragic devastation wrought by the earthquake and tsunami four years ago. So too I express deep appreciation for your initiatives in favor of peace, especially your efforts to keep before the world the immense suffering experienced by the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the Second World War seventy years ago. In all of these works, you not only meet the needs of the community, but you also create opportunities for dialogue between the Church and society. Such dialogue is especially important, for it fosters mutual understanding and promotes greater cooperation for the common good. But it also opens new avenues to preaching the Gospel and inviting those whom we serve to an encounter with Jesus Christ. May we never shy away from preaching the Gospel and, by our good works, witnessing to Christ (cf. Jas 2:18).
If our missionary efforts are to bear fruit, the example of the “hidden Christians” has much to teach us. Though small in number and daily facing persecution, these believers were able to preserve the faith by being attentive to their personal relationship with Jesus, a relationship built on a solid prayer life and a sincere commitment to the welfare of the community. The Church today, likewise, is strengthened and her evangelization efforts are made effective when her faithful are anchored in a personal relationship with Christ and supported by parish and ecclesial communities which accompany them daily.
Though the “hidden Christians” did not have the benefit of the full sacramental life of the Church, today your local Churches enjoy the ministry of many dedicated priests who serve the spiritual needs of the faithful. The demands placed on them are great, however, and their numerous responsibilities often take them away from the very people they are intended to serve. I urge you to work with your priests to ensure that they have the time and freedom needed to be available to those entrusted to their care. So that they may be effective in proclaiming the Gospel, I ask you to give particular attention to their human and spiritual formation, not only while in seminary, but throughout the whole of their lives. May your priests see in you both a father who is ever available to his sons, and a brother who remains always at their side to share the happiness and difficulties of their lives. This strong witness of fraternity and communion between Bishops and their priests will help young men to more easily discern and take up the call to priesthood.
Your communities are further strengthened by the witness of religious men and women whose consecration prefigures the new Jerusalem in heaven and whose apostolates serve the building up of Christ’s Kingdom on earth (Rev 21:1-2). I also join you in thanking the Lord for the gift of religious life in Japan, for those from abroad and for those from your local communities. In union with your priests and lay leaders, they generously serve the Church in Japan and offer to society the fruits of their faith. May they always know your support, and may you seek new opportunities for cooperation in apostolic works.
The “hidden Christians” of Japan remind us that the work of fostering the life of the Church and of evangelizing require the full and active participation of the lay faithful. Their mission is twofold: to engage in the life of the parish and local Church, and to permeate the social order with their Christian witness. This mission is accomplished above all in the family, where faith accompanies every age of life and enlightens all our relationships in society (cf. Lumen Fidei, 53-54). When we give our attention and resources to supporting the family, beginning with marriage preparation and continuing with catechesis for all stages of life, we enrich our parishes and local Churches. So too, our societies and cultures are permeated with the fragrance of the Gospel. Through the witness of the Japanese faithful, “the Church expresses her genuine catholicity and shows forth the ‘beauty of her varied face’” (Evangelii Gaudium, 116). So often, when we find this witness lacking, it is not because the faithful do not want to be missionary disciples, but rather because they think themselves incapable of the task. I encourage you as Pastors to instill in them a deep appreciation of their calling and to offer them concrete expressions of support and guidance so that they may answer this call with generosity and courage.
Dear Brothers, I thank you for the Christian witness which you and your local Churches daily provide. With these thoughts, I entrust you to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, and I willingly extend my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace and joy in the Lord.
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Ufficio delle Celebrazioni Liturgiche del Sommo Pontefice: Celebrazioni della Settimana Santa 2015 presiedute dal Santo Padre Francesco
vatican.va
