Apostolic Nuncio Mgr Chennoth gave him the 'Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice' medal, an award given to laity and clergy who distinguished themselves in the service of the Church. One of his achievements was the translation of the Gospel into the Kesen dialect. He also offered the Catholic faith as a response to the Fukushima tragedy.

Tokyo (AsiaNews) - The Catholic Church has decided to honour Dr Leo Harutsugu Yamaura, a physician who dedicated his entire professional life to the poor, who also translated the Bible into Kesen, a dialect spoken in Iwate Prefecture. In recognition for his work, the apostolic nuncio to Japan awarded him the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, a medal bestowed upon members of the laity and the clergy who distinguished themselves for their service to the Church.

The ceremony was held at the Apostolic Nunciature in Tokyo and was attended by all the bishops of Japan (busy these days at their plenary meeting) and the presidents and vice-presidents of the superior major orders.

In accepting the award, Dr Yamaura thanked the nuncio, Syro-Malabar Archbishop Mar Joseph Chennoth, for the honour bestowed upon him.

Dr Yamaura has worked during his entire life to pass on and instil deeply into people's hearts the Gospel of Christ. To achieve this goal, he decided to translate the Bible in Kesen, his local language.

In April 2004, together with then Sendai Bishop Mgr Francis Osamu Mizobe, he travelled to the Vatican and offered his translation to Pope John Paul II.

In recent years, his action has had an enormous, albeit unplanned impact because of the terrible tsunami that devastated the coast of Japan on 11 March 2011.

The doctor had just finished the draft of 'Jesus of Galilee', the Japanese translation of the Four Gospels of the New Testament, which was ready for printing, when his clinic was flooded by the tsunami triggered by an underwater earthquake.

Without power, gas and water, Dr Yamaura worked tirelessly for several days, without sleep or rest, to help the people who came to him every day seeking treatment. In the end, the tragedy saved his job, and the 'Tsunami Bibles' became a sign of hope for all Japanese.

After the experience of the great earthquake, requests came from all over the country for him to speak. He chose to title one of his conferences 'God, you are the Supreme Good. We do not whine. It's OK; let us accept this catastrophe'.

At these events, he explained his belief by saying that "a believer's way of life should enable him to overcome tragedy through faith."

His speeches touched many quake victims and others, Christian or not, who wonder about the sense one can give to the suffering caused by the earthquake.

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