Catholic World

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 23, 14 June 1923, Page 47

Catholic World

JAPANESE MARTYRS: LONG LOST RECORDS FOUND. In far-away Japan (says the Boston Pilot)' a discovery was recently made of even greater importance than the glittering trappings of ancient Egyptian royalty—a priceless treasure-trove, not of gold and precious stones, but of authentic documents concerning one of the most glorious episodes in the history of the Catholic Church. What would you say if. some savant disinterred the original minutes of the Roman Court, that conducted the trial of St. Paul, giving the charge, the testimony of the witnesses, the defence of the Apostle and the judgment pronounced? What an important addition this would be to our knowledge of St. Paul and of his time. Something like this has been done, not indeed for the early Church, but for the most glorious period of the Church of Japan. The original court records concerning the martyrdom of 220 native Japanese Catholics were found in the State archives at Nagasaki by Professor Anezaki of the University of Tokyo It is, of course, well known that St. Francis Xavier of the Society of Jesus and his followers had, within a century, gained about one million Japanese converts for the Catholic Faith. This promising movement of Christianity in the Land of the Rising Sun was rudely checked in 1614 by the edict of Yeya.su, perhaps the most powerful statesman of Old Japan, against the Catholic Church. In the year 1650 this work of destruction seemed almost completed. During the next 24 years, the Church of Japan was extinguished by the murder of its last heroicconfessors. Of this final struggle between dauntless faith and brutal force the documents found by Professor Anezaki give us a full, vivid, and absolutely authentic account. They consist of jibout two thousand pages bound together in two volumes and are preserved at Nagasaki. The importance of this unexpected find becomes clear at once, when we consider that they were written under the immediate impression of events. Contemporary accounts of those days of storm and stress are very rare indeed, a circumstances that greatly enhances the historical value of those Court records. And although these 5:20 martyrs, of whom they treat are but a small portion of the total number of Japanese Christians who died for the faith between 1614 and 1674,these vivid glimpses pictured for us by the actors and eye witnesses, give us a far more comprehensive and deeper impression than we would otherwise have of Japanese cruelty on the one side and Japanese constancy on the other. The scene of this last conflict was the ancient kingdom of Bungo with its capital Oita, known in St. Francis Xavier's day as the city of Funai. This part el Japan was now under the rule of Matsudaira, and the present documents are the reports of his officials to the Supreme Court at Nagasaki concerning the Christians before his tribunal. Most of these trials were held in 1660 and 1674. Hence their extreme value as show-' ing how lively the faith still was after half a century of persecution. Seventeen villages around Oita are given as the homes of the*} steadfast Christians. It i s probable that in the other districts of Japan there were many othe-.* martyrs of whom as yet wr have no record. We have calle.l nl' these accused persons mart/rs cf the faith, although the records show that only 76 of- the 220 wero actually put to death. But there were b 9 that died in prison and 36 were still held in prison at the time the reports were sent, and some others released from prfewn, though kept unfit r strict surveillance. In the proper se;se of the word, we have here only 57 martyrs; but the other*, or almost all of them wore at least martyrs in spirit, n;ii so they too are worthy to stand as witnesses for the Leroic faith of St. Francis Xuv-er's converts. Professor Anei.ad gives the names of the 76 men and women of old Japan who with their life-blood bore tests mony to the faith that was in them. Entire families w<tp swept away by the fury to find a safe haven in the ho'ne of peace and joy. But the children, friends and relates of every Japanese Christian, even if they did apostatise, re;<i mained under suspicion for two or three generations.

These long-lost Attn Martyrum have a two-fold import and bearing: first, as the golden page of history of Japins heroic, Christian days, end second, as a contribution to the History of the die Church in its world-wide mission to preach the Gospel to every creature. EXTENT OF CATHOLIC MISSIONS. An instructive idea of the tremendous extent of Catholic mission undertakings in various parts of the world is presented by a perusal of statistics of Catholic missions which have just been published. From one end of the world to the other the Catholic missionary , s carrying on- his noble work, assisted by the prayers and alms of the faithful at home. The undertakings in general and their particular manifestations in the various splendid works performed far and wide are a splendid tribute to the vitality of the Church to-day. Of the Catholics in the world it is recorded that approximately 30,000,000 dwell in various missionary countries, as they are called. The total of the personnel in charge of the work numbers 83,324 persons. Of these 5837 are listed as native missionaries and 7933 fall within the domain of foreign missionaries. The remainder of the numbers includes more than 5000 lay Brothers, 21,320 Sisters, 24,500 catechists and 17,450 teachers, an imposing array in itself. Passing to the mission stations, the statistics show that of these there are 42,968. There are 28,470 churches and chapels, 409 hospitals carrying on their beneficent work in various places; 1263 orphanages doing excellent work in their field; 1183 asylums and 62 printing establishments all contributing their share to the welfare of those under their care. The statistics give the number of students who are preparing themselves for .service in the missions as 5912 all of whom are studying theology. ' EUOHAIMSTIC CONGRESS FOR JUGO-SLAVIA The first Jugo-Slav National Eucharistic Congress is to be held this summer in Agram, the picturesque capital of Croatia, which.. with its beautiful suburbs, is the centre of the intellectual and modern life of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. It will be the first time since the foundation of the new Free State that the Catholics of Jugo-Slavia will meet with the aim .of organising a demonstration purely religious both as testimony of their Catholic faith and as a manifestation of the profound religious lite of the nation in face of the menace of a so-called National Church and of the chicaneries of the Government impregnated with Freemasonry. It is expected that there will be a great mustering of the people who, still wearing their traditional national dress, will present a snectacle at once striking and picturesque. It is hoped that foreign Catholics will find their way to the city for the congress The exchange makes a holiday in Jugo-Slavia not a nexpensive affair. And while visiting Catholics will be able to unite themselves with the Catholics of beautiful Jugoslavia, they will also be able to mingle with a race that through the centuries has been an unshaken bulwark against the invasion of Europe by the Turks. Dr. Loncarfc has been appointed to see to the needs of visiting Catholics He may be addressed at Kaptol-Palais de l'Archeveehe Zagreb, Jugo-Slavia. ' GREAT LOURDES PILGRIMAGE. The first great national pilgrimage to Lourdes, organised as an outcome of the Lourdes movement inaugurated last year, has left Westminster in two trains (says Catholic News Service, London, for May 5). Before starting from Victoria the pilgrims assembled in the Cathedral, where Cardinal Bourne celebrated the Pilgrims' Mass. The train containing the sick, known as the White Train, left with the Bishop of Brentwood and Mgr. Carton de Wiart as ecclesiastical authorities in charge. The Pink Train left a little later, and among the pilgrims on this train were the Archbishop of Cardiff, the Bishoo of Northampton and the Auxiliary for Liverpool, Bishop Dobson. Father Woodlock, of Farm Street, went in the capacity of preacher with Father McKenna, of the Cathedral, as director of the entire pilgrimage. From start to return, the pilgrimage lasts eight days, and it is expected to be only the first of more frequent and much larger pilgrimages than any of past years. : ,^