September - October 2018

 October 7 − This day had been chosen for the 13th biennial meeting of our partners in dialogue, to be held, as usual, at Shinmeizan.  Unfortunately, we had to cancel it because of the approaching typhoon n. 25! (We plan to hold it at the beginning of next year…) However, Ven. Hara Onin, head of the Buddhist Temple Choen of Kumamoto (Nichiren)　 -　 saying his 4wheels-driven car could afford the mountain road leading up to Shinmeizan, notwithstanding the fallen branches and trees felled by the typhoon ‐　did actually come, and joined Fr. Franco in a Buddhist and Christian service of prayer for, and commitment to, world peace.     

October 14-22  – Sr. Maria De Giorgi, travels to Italy, to take part in the 31st international interreligious meeting called by the Community of Saint Egidio, held, this year, in the city of Bologna on October 14-16, and delivers a paper at the Panel on “Japan: Religions and the value of life”.  

Sr. Maria De Giorgi delivers a paper at the international interreligious meeting 

held by the Community of Saint Egidio,  at Bologna (Italy) on October 14-16.

She then moves to Germany, where she has been invited to give conferences on the teaching and praxis of the Catholic Church in interreligious dialogue at a meeting of Japanese Buddhist Monks of the Nichiren School, gathered at the Daiseion Temple in Wipperfürth (Cologne) on October 18-22. This meeting was highlighted by the participation of:

• His Exc. Mons. Felix Machado, Bishop of Vasai (India) and President of the Committee for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue of the FABC,
• the person in charge of interreligious dialogue in the Catholic Diocese of Cologne,
• the Iman of the Mosque of the city of Cologne, one of the largest in Europe, and by a session held at the Benedictine Abbey of Köningsmünster

 ... and conferences at the study session held for Buddhist Monks of the Nichiren School
at Wipperfürth (Cologne, Germany) on October 18-22.

October 31 － Fr. Franco and Sr. Maria travel to Tokyo, to take part in the regular meeting of the Subcommittee on interreligious dialogue of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan, of which both are Consultors.