Shinmeizan Journal – October 2016

2 October – Our dialogue partners gathered at Shinmeizan for the 12^th biennial interreligious meeting of Prayer for Peace. The participants were about fifty and included the representative of the Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, the Shinto, Tendai Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, Nichiren, the Seimeizan-Schweitzer Temple, Tentikyo, Risshokoseikai, and Byakkoshinkokai.

13-17 October – The 6^th seminar for Interreligious Dialogue took place at Shinmeizan. The seminar included presentations regarding the Catholic Church guidelines on interreligious dialogue, Shinto, Buddhism, Islam and Japan new religions; visits to a Buddhist temple, a Shinto shrine and the Tenrikyo headquarters in Kumamoto. Eight of the nine participants came from various parts of Japan and one was Mr Marcus Meyer from Sweden.

18-19 October – Father Franco, Father Rocco and Sister Maria participated in a meeting of Kakehashi that took place in Tenri. Kakehashi is the association of the representatives of the Catholic religious orders present in Japan who wish to cooperate in the field of Interreligious dialogue. The meeting included an encounter with the president and faculty of the Tenri University, and a visit to the university library.

24 October – The committee assisting Father Franco as Interreligious Dialogue coordinator for the Diocese of Fukuoka met. Father Rocco also attended.

28 October – Father Franco attended the sixth Forum organized by the Association for Interreligious Dialogue in Modern Society sponsored by the Myokenkaku Temple (Nichiren Buddhism).

29 October – the members and guests of Shinmeizan participated in the annual feast of the Jokoku Temple  of Kumamoto. Father Franco was invited to speak about meditation in the Catholic traditon.

31 October – Father Franco and Father Rocco attended the bimonthly meeting of the Fukuoka Group of Dialogue between Buddhists and Christians.