Young Koreans and Japanese "united in Christ" in the face of earthquakes and tsunamis
Osaka (AsiaNews) - Natural disasters "help
people feel closer, to create closer ties. I think that God wants to restore a
sense of complete union among humanity, the unity that we are losing because of
an increasingly competitive global society. Thanks for coming here to witness to
this unity", said the auxiliary bishop of Osaka,
Msgr. Michael
Goro Matsuura, to a group of young South Korean guests of his diocese. The
disasters to which the bishop's refers are the Kobe earthquake of 1995 and the earthquake
and tsunami of last year.
The
initiative is part of the 18th Korean-Japanese Youth Exchange Meeting, an
experience that the two Churches are trying to strengthen year after year. The
theme for 2012 is in fact "Kizuna," which in Japanese means
"bond of solidarity." Accompanied
by Fr. Damian
Park Myoung-gee, secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Youth, and Fr. Peter
Kim Seok-ju, in charge of youth ministry in the Diocese of Cheju, Korea 20 young
people spent a week in Japan.
Greeted
by a party in the parish of Umeda, the participants were hosted by Japanese
Catholic families, who are committed to helping them experience the most
significant local realities: excursions, meetings, but also Eucharistic
celebrations and religious visits. In
particular, the group visited the parish of Takatori in Nara,
known for its commitment to the survivors after the Kobe earthquake ("the Great
Hanshin").
On
the final day, the auxiliary bishop of Osaka met
the guests and gave a speech: "From Kobe
earthquake, tsunami in Sri
Lanka to Tohoku earthquake and tsunami last
year, people in the midst of great natural disasters could have known much
stronger bond and solidarity one another. "
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