‘Work takes priority over
religion in Japan’, says Oblate priest ahead of Pope’s visit
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| Oblate fathers and young people in Japan |
Ahead of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to Japan, an OMI
missionary priest explores how the face of the local Catholic Church is
changing and the challenges of preaching the Gospel where people give priority
to work, not religion.
By Devin Watkins
Catholics are a tiny minority in Japan, numbering 536,000 in
total, or just 0.42% of the population.
But that won’t keep them from turning out in
(relatively-large) droves when Pope Francis makes his Apostolic Journey on
23-26 November.
“Although the Catholic population is quite small, I think
people are looking forward to [his] visit and that it might help them
strengthen their faith and the Church at large. It’s going to bring hope.”
That was how Fr. Bradly Rozairo, OMI, described the
faithful’s expectations, in an interview with Vatican Radio. The missionary
priest from Sri Lanka serves as the Delegation Superior of the Oblates of Mary
Immaculate, and lives in Itami City.
“Many are getting ready to go to Nagasaki, Hiroshima, and
Tokyo, practically from every church there are people going to attend,” he
said, adding that many people from his church in Osaka are making travel plans.
Church’s new face
Those ‘droves’ are not just Japanese Catholics. There is a
growing number of migrant workers who hail from the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri
Lanka, Brazil, and Peru.
“The total [Catholic] population is some dioceses is very
foreign,” said Fr Bradly.
This influx of foreigners comes as quite a shock in Japan,
which has long had strict immigration laws. Parliament just last year passed a
law to allow an unprecedented 300,000 migrant workers in over the next 5 years,
due to a labor crunch. So more change is coming.
“Many Bishops encourage the Japanese community to welcome
migrant workers,” Fr Bradly said.
Religious missionaries like him have their own role to play
in this new stage in Japan’s history.
Fr Bradly said ministry to migrants is “not only about the
Sacraments” but includes helping foreigners as they face language or legal
problems. “If they don’t speak the language we help them with translation” or
bring in someone to teach them Japanese, he said.
‘Difficult mission’
Pope Pius XI once called the Oblates of Mary Immaculate
“specialists in the most difficult missions.” The phrase even appears on
the OMI Japan website.
The hardest thing about being a missionary in Japan?
“People don’t have time to come to Church. Here, work gets
the priority, not religion.”
Fr Bradly said people respond well to Church-organized
events, if they can find a free moment. He added that this can be difficult for
missionaries to grasp when they first arrive in the country.
Returning to the Pope’s visit, Fr Bradly said that “for a
country which does not give priority to religion, to welcome a religious leader
will be a big blessing. The presence of Pope Francis and his message will help
strengthen their faith and belief in Christianity.”
OMIs in Japan
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate first arrived in Japan in
1948, after the end of the Second World War.
One of their initial missions was educating children, and
they opened several Montessori kindergartens, 6 of which they still operate.
“We still continue with this mission,” Fr Bradly said, “because we really try
to give the Gospel values to kids and to teach them about God.”
Now the Oblates in Japan work mostly in parishes. Some also
serve as prison chaplains, and one runs a pro-life desk.
Fr Bradly has one hope for the Pope’s upcoming visit to
Japan.
“I wish and pray that God may interfere in the lives of
people, especially the non-Christians in this country, through Pope Francis.”
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