POPE ADDRESSES BISHOPS OF JAPAN AT END OF "AD LIMINA" VISIT

VATICAN CITY, MAR 31, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed the bishops of Japan, in Rome for their "ad limina" visit, and he spoke to them of the faith which has flourished in their land for centuries, the need for a new springtime of evangelization and inculturation of the faith, and the need for "careful and confident pastoral planning" as they face a series of challenges in their ministry.

Quoting his Apostolic Letter "Novo Millennio Ineunte," the Pope focussed on Jesus' words to the apostles: "Duc in altum!," urging the bishops to "put out into the deep," and have faith in the Lord. "We labor with all our might to make a catch; yet at times we are left feeling that we have caught little or nothing and that, for the time being at least, there is nothing to catch. Yet Jesus says: 'Put out your nets!' Faith assures us that the Lord knows our world better than we do."

Turning to the challenge of inculturation of the faith, John Paul II said: "The close bonds between religion, culture and society make it particularly difficult for the followers of Asia's great religions to be open to the mystery of the Incarnation and to conceive of Jesus as the one and only Savior." The truths of our faith must be translated "into categories more readily accessible to Asian sensibilities and the mentality of your people. The challenge is to present the 'Asian face of Jesus' in a way that is in perfect harmony with the Church's whole mystical, philosophical and theological tradition."

"The Good News of God's love manifested in Christ," he went on, "is good news for everyone. ... At a time when many are confused about the meaning of life or are searching for a light to clarify the many existential and moral questions which trouble them, the truth about our human condition is the essential basis for building a culture and society worthy of the image of God inherent in every man and woman."

He then turned to the problems brought about in society by affluence, and the resulting challenges for pastors. "While some enjoy the benefits of material progress, others are left on the margins. ... When a consumerist mentality takes hold, people are absorbed by the concern for 'having', to the detriment of 'being'. ... How many people, even among the affluent, are threatened by despair at the lack of meaning in their lives, by fear of abandonment in old age or sickness, by marginalization or social discrimination! Some of the ways in which people seek relief are extremely self-defeating and destructive to individuals and society: violence, drugs and suicide come immediately to mind." He told the bishops that "true pastoral charity" will enable them to "make generous efforts to bring the Gospel to bear more visibly and effectively on the situation in which you live."

He stated that this same charity would be needed "in parishes and communities which are being transformed by an influx of immigrants, many of whom are Catholic." The Church must be close to these people who are "often friendless, linguistically disadvantaged and culturally estranged. ... Every effort must be made to meet their legitimate needs and to make them feel welcome in the Catholic community."

"A new evangelization in Japan," concluded Pope John Paul, "will also mean a discerning but generous openness to the communities and movements which the Holy Spirit is raising up in the Church. ... It is often in such groups that people, especially the young, find the spiritual fervor and experience of community which leads them to a personal encounter with Christ and makes them in turn missionaries of the new millennium."

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