Holy Father Pope Francis urged the Bishops in Japan to use the example of their country’s martyrs as an inspiration to continue their mission of evangelization amid modern-day challenges, in a letter that was sent to the Japanese Bishops ahead of the visit of His Eminence Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of People, who will be on an official visit to Japan from September 17-26, 2017.
As reported by Vatican radio, in the letter, Holy Father Pope Francis remarked that “The long line of martyrs and confessors of the faith, by nationality, language, social class and age, had in common a deep love for the Son of God, renouncing their own civil status or other aspects of their own social condition, all in order to gain Christ.” Further, His Holiness added, “If the Church was born Catholic, it means that it was born going out, that it was born missionary and it is the love of Christ which compels us to offer our lives for the Gospel.”
His Holiness closed his letter by pointing to the present ecclesial movements in the country and highlighted that with their evangelistic impulse and witness these movements can be of great help in the pastoral service and mission “ad gentes (to the nations).
