Journal July-August 2017

Main activities of interreligious dialogue

July 2     Fr. Franco leads the ‘Kumamoto Group for Interreligious Dialogue’ in a friendly visit to the local Center of OMOTO, one of the most important branches of Shintoism.

July 17    Maria De Giorgi travels to Osaka for a visit to the Myokenkaku Temple (Nichiren,Buddhism), upon invitation of Ven. Nisho TAKEUCHI.

July 24     Fr. Franco and Maria De Giorgi take part in the regular meeting of he Buddhist Christian study group of Fukuoka.

July 25-28 Shinmeizan holds the the 17th course on “Religion, Religions and Interreligious Dialog” for Students of the Kitakyushu University of Industrial Medicine. This year’s theme is: “ The maening and sacredness of life from a view point of religion”. 12 students participated. As always also Ven. Nobutake MAEDA, head of the Chigen Temple of Osaka (Pure Land Buddhism) cooperated with the staff of Shinmeizan.

＊  　＊　　＊　　＊　　＊

August 2-10 Maria De Giorgi, upon request of the Committee on interreligious dialogue of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, of which she is a Consultor, accompanies and assists as interpreter the Vatican Delegation to the 30th “Interreligious Summit” of Mount Hiei (Kyoto), the center of Tendai Buddhism. The Delegation representing the Vatican at the event was composed by Card. John Hon TONG, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, Archbishop Joseph CENNOTH, Apostolic Nuncio to Japan, Bishop Miguel Angel AYUSO GUIXOT and Mons. Indunil KODITHUWAKKU, Secretary and Undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dualoge. After the Summit of Mount Hiei, Maria further accompanied Bishop Ayuso Guixot and Mons. KODITHUWAKKU in their successive visits to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where they took part in the interreligious events held every year in the two cities on the anniversary of he atomic bombing, and finally to Tokyo, where they paied an official visit to the Central Office of the national Association of Shinto Shrines. Bishop Ayuso and Mons. Kodithuwakku intendet to pay a visit also to Shinmeizan, but the approching of a dreadful typhoon obliged them to change their plans.

Agust 10   Fr.. Franco and Maria De Giorgi partecipate in the extraordinary meeting of the National Committee for Interreligious Dialog held in Tokyo on he occasion of the visit to Japan of Bishop Ayuso Guixot and Mons. Indunil Kodithuwakku, Secretary and Undersecretary of the Pontifical Cpuncil for Interreligious Dialog.

August 12-14 Fr. Silvestro BEJAN, OFM Conv. and Fr. Daniel, OFMConv., of the International Interreligious Center for Dialog” of Assisi pay a visit to Shinmeizan.

August 16 Ven. Shokei STEFFENS, of the Myokenkaku Temple of Osaka (Nichiren Buddhism) pays a visit to Shinmeizan.

August 19   Fr. Franco and Maria De Giorgi join the Seimeizan-Schweitzer Temple of Tamana in the commemoration of Ven. Tairyu Furukawa, on the 17th anniversary of his death.

Interreligious summit at Mount Hiei, August 4.

Card. John Hon Tong delivers the message from Pope Francis

at the International interreligious meeting of Kyoto, August 3.

From left to right: Msgr. Indunil Kodithiuwakku, Undersecretary PCDI, Bishop Ayuso Guiot, Secretary PCDI,

Archbishop Takami of Nagasaki and Maria De Giorgi, at Hiroshima, August 6

From left to right: Msgr. Indunil Kodithuwakku, Undersecretary PCDI,  Archbishop Joseph Cennoth,

Apostolic Nuncio to Japan, Card. John Hon Tong, Bishop Ayuoso Guixot, Secretary PCDI,

Bishop Otsuka of Kyoto, Maria De Giorgi

Bishop Ayuso Guixot and Msgr. Indunil Kodithuwakku carry the banner

"Catholics and Anglicans marching for peace"

at Hiroshima on the anniversary of the atom bomb, August 6

Some of the participants in the extraordinary meeting of the Committee for Interreligious Dialogue

of the Bishops' Conference, welcoming the Secretary and Undersecretary of PCDI, Tokyo, August 10.