Pope urges fresh missionary thrust in Japan's Catholic Church

(Dec. 15, 2007) Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday urged the Catholic Church of Japan to seek new ways of bringing alive the message of Christ in the highly developed society of modern day Japan. Speaking to Japan’s 16 bishops on their ad limina visit to Rome, the Pope offered next year’s beatification of 188 Japanese martyrs and last year’s celebration of the 500th anniversary of the birth of Saint Francis Xavier, the Apostle of Japan, as a new impetus to the missionary thrust of the Church in their country. Heads of dioceses make ad limina visits to Rome every 5 years to report on the state of their jurisdiction. “Even though Christians form only a small percentage of the population, the faith is a treasure that needs to be shared with the whole of Japanese society,” the Pope told the bishops. Even in highly developed countries such as Japan, many are discovering that economic success and advanced technology are not sufficient in themselves to bring fulfilment to the human heart. Anyone who does not know God “is ultimately without the great hope that sustains the whole of life,” the Pope said, adding “there is more to life than professional success and profit. Pope Benedict particularly called the bishops’ attention to the young people who he said are at risk of being deceived by the glamour of modern secular culture. Tragically, he said, the youth are often disillusion by false hope which leads to depression and despair, even to suicide. Their youthful energy and enthusiasm can be directed towards the things of God, which alone are sufficient to satisfy their deepest longings, and more young people will be inspired to commit their lives to Christ, as priests and religious, the Pope added.