austraLasia #3150
Mission Possible - Japan
As part of this latter meeting, Fr Klement invited 'open questions', and as can be expected many of them drew on his vast experience as Missions Councillor. ere is a sample of such questions or comments:
Q1 - How is the Salesian presence in Muslim countries. Are we able to evangelise?
Q2 - How can a lay person work at the accompaniment of youth. Can we also prepare something for the Salesian Cooperators, or do it together as a Salesian Family in Japan?
Q3 - Young people, students living under pressure, do not find it easy to grow up, and are bullied. We need to understand their situation and know their problems.
Q4 - In Asia it is a grace to be a Christian, and a chance to evangelise. What can we contribute as Japanese in Asia?
Q5 - We are three neighbouring countries (China, Japan, Korea) with some political tensions at the moment. But there are also some experiences of sharing among us - new priests from Japan and Korea are meeting every 3 years.
Q6 - New frontiers for the Salesian mission.
While responding in detail to particular questions, Fr Klement also spoke of the broader scene: the new name for the Catholic CHurch is 'Mission' he told them:
"This evening we are gathered in Tokyo, Japan - some 400 years after St Francis Xavier reached the coasts of Kyushu and some 2000 years after the first Pentecost - a missionary send off which happened in Jerusalem after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Indeed, for some 1900 years the Mission idea was about HOW to reach not-yet-evangelised territories, as we can see in the Atlas of Global Christianity (Edinburgh, ed. 2010). But in the past 50 years with globalisation and the new awareness of the Church (Second Vatican Council - 'Lumen Gentium'), this vision became much more articulated. We can notice some paradigm shifts: from mission territories to people to be evangelised; from preaching the Gospel to faith sharing; from Church implanting to never ending Church-building; from sending and receiving local Churches to the whole Church in a state of mission.
Today we find ourselves in a truly globalised world where languages, ethnic groups, cultures and religions are in touch as never before in human history. The adjective 'Catholic' means, more than ever before a Global, Universal, really World Church.
Today we, the Holy Father and the Bishops, talk to all Catholics about the need to evangelise, to be missionaries. To be a Christian today means more and more an urgent need to be missionary, to share own faith with others, anywhere in the world. We can't keep up our faith if we don't share it with others! Our faith grows more when we share it especially with non-Christians.
An event on Saturday 27th October in the Salesian Meguro Parish in Tokyo only served to underline these words - a prayer for peace involving Catholic, Shinto, Buddhist, Muslim, Riso Sheikai participants (see photos above).
Mission Possible - Japan
TOKYO: 27 October 2012 -- The Salesian Family retreat in Japan has just concluded - 50 members gathered under Mount Fuji at Yamanaka. A little later Fr Klement held a two hour meeting back in Tokyo with many members of the Salesian Family. throughout this week and for the meeting with the SF, Fr Achilles Loro Piana remained at his side as a translator.
As part of this latter meeting, Fr Klement invited 'open questions', and as can be expected many of them drew on his vast experience as Missions Councillor. ere is a sample of such questions or comments:
Q1 - How is the Salesian presence in Muslim countries. Are we able to evangelise?
Q2 - How can a lay person work at the accompaniment of youth. Can we also prepare something for the Salesian Cooperators, or do it together as a Salesian Family in Japan?
Q3 - Young people, students living under pressure, do not find it easy to grow up, and are bullied. We need to understand their situation and know their problems.
Q4 - In Asia it is a grace to be a Christian, and a chance to evangelise. What can we contribute as Japanese in Asia?
Q5 - We are three neighbouring countries (China, Japan, Korea) with some political tensions at the moment. But there are also some experiences of sharing among us - new priests from Japan and Korea are meeting every 3 years.
Q6 - New frontiers for the Salesian mission.
While responding in detail to particular questions, Fr Klement also spoke of the broader scene: the new name for the Catholic CHurch is 'Mission' he told them:
"This evening we are gathered in Tokyo, Japan - some 400 years after St Francis Xavier reached the coasts of Kyushu and some 2000 years after the first Pentecost - a missionary send off which happened in Jerusalem after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Indeed, for some 1900 years the Mission idea was about HOW to reach not-yet-evangelised territories, as we can see in the Atlas of Global Christianity (Edinburgh, ed. 2010). But in the past 50 years with globalisation and the new awareness of the Church (Second Vatican Council - 'Lumen Gentium'), this vision became much more articulated. We can notice some paradigm shifts: from mission territories to people to be evangelised; from preaching the Gospel to faith sharing; from Church implanting to never ending Church-building; from sending and receiving local Churches to the whole Church in a state of mission.
Today we find ourselves in a truly globalised world where languages, ethnic groups, cultures and religions are in touch as never before in human history. The adjective 'Catholic' means, more than ever before a Global, Universal, really World Church.
Today we, the Holy Father and the Bishops, talk to all Catholics about the need to evangelise, to be missionaries. To be a Christian today means more and more an urgent need to be missionary, to share own faith with others, anywhere in the world. We can't keep up our faith if we don't share it with others! Our faith grows more when we share it especially with non-Christians.
An event on Saturday 27th October in the Salesian Meguro Parish in Tokyo only served to underline these words - a prayer for peace involving Catholic, Shinto, Buddhist, Muslim, Riso Sheikai participants (see photos above).
