Samurai's Cause For Beatification Forwarded To Rome

[mortify ii]

Peace Pham,

 

A really great read: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/samurais-cause-for-beatification-forwarded-to-rome/

 

It further got me interested in Japanese Catholicism, especially when it became a hidden/underground religion when all the missionaries were expelled. It's amazing to note, that prior expulsion of the missionaries and clergy, many faithful  Japanese were given baptism and nothing more than a rudimentary overview of the the Faith, yet for centuries they held on to and passed the little they received. A truly remarkable story of the Faith in this land.

 

Here is a wikipedia article, just keep in mind the source ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakure_Kirishitan

[arfink]

I have always thought the stories from that time and place were very cool, and would love to see more Japanese saints.

[mortify ii]

What is of particular interest for me is that these hidden Christian communities survived for many generations without a clergy and therefore without many of the sacraments. I wish I could find some theological understanding of their case, since we all know how important the sacraments are for our salvation. Here in essence we had Catholicism without the channels of the grace, where one might question whether a "Church" in the true sense of the world existed, and yet their they were, surely they must have made it to heaven! Considering how things are going, understanding their circumstances theologically may help us better to understand our future.

[mortify ii]

Btw...

 

A statue of the above mentioned holy Samurai