ASIA/JAPAN - Asian martyrs at the centre of a meeting between Japanese and Korean bishops

Sapporo (Agenzia Fides) - The experience of the martyr is an element which unites the Church in Korea and the Church in Japan. This emerged at the 13th meeting for cultural and spiritual discussion between Japanese and Korean Bishops held recently in Sapporo, Japan, on the theme “Martyrdom in Korea and Japan”.
The 13 Korean bishops were given a warm welcome by their Japanese counterparts. They listened to a talk by Lee Won-soon, former professor at the University of Seoul, on the theme “Persecution of the Church", whereas Fr. Francis Mizobe Osamu, head of the Bishops commission for beatification and canonisation, illustrated the itinerary towards the beatification which will take place in November next year in Nagasaki.
The bishops discussed how to imitate the martyrs today, expressing the hope that “the lives of the martyrs of the past may inspire men and women of today to be authentic Christian witnesses in society”.
The beatification of the 188 Japanese martyrs, to take place in Japan next year, will be presided on behalf of the Pope by the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. 183 of The 188 martyrs included 183 lay people, five priests including Jesuit Fr Peter Kibe. The beatification cause started in the 1980s closed on 1 June 2007 with the approval of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and the signature of Pope Benedict. Japanese Martyrs already recognised by the Church include Paul Miki and companion martyrs, Grazia Hosawaka, Ludovico Ibaragi, Michael Kozaki and Takayam Ukon.
The Church in Korea has Saint Andrea Kim Taegon and 103 companion martyrs, killed during a harsh persecution, canonised in Seoul in 1984 by John Paul II in the first canonisation held outside the Vatican. The path of the Korean martyrs continues: in 2004 the opening of the causes for the beatification of Servant of God Paul Yun Ji-chung and 123 companions tortured and killed “in odium fidei” in 1791. In 2006 Incheon diocese opened the diocesan stage of the beatification process for lay missionarry John Song Hae-bung martyred during the Korean war (1950-1953). In 2007 the Korean dioceses of Chunchon and Hamhung opened the diocesan cause for the beatification of a few martyrs of the 20th century: priests and religious killed between 1940 and 1950 while they were active in evangelisation and pastoral care in the areas of Gangwon-do and Hamgyeong-do. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 18/12/2007 righe 32 parole 324)