Ｅｄｉｔｅｄ ｂｙ Center for Promoting “Apostles of Peace”
Ｃａｔｈｏｌｉｃ Ｈｉｒｏｓｈｉｍａ Ｄｉｏｃｅｓｅ

２００６ Ｄｅｃｌａｒａｔｉｏｎ ｂｙ Ｂｉｓｈｏｐ Ｍｉｓｕｅ

Ｌｅt ｕｓ become Ａｐｏｓｔｌｅs ｏｆ Ｐｅａｃｅ

Three paths to become Apostles of PeaceＰＥＡＣＥ

ＣＯＬＬＡＢＯＲＡＴＩＯＮＦＯＲＭＡＴＩＯＮ

Ｌｅｔ ｕｓ ｗｏｒｋ ｆｏｒ

Ｌｅｔ ｕｓ ｗｏｒｋ ｔｏｇｅｔｈｅｒ，
ｏｖｅｒｃｏｍｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ ｂａｒｒｉｅｒ ｏｆｉｎｄｉｖｉｄｕａｌ，ｏｒｇａｎｉｚａｔｉｏｎ ｏｒ ｇｒｏｕｐ

Ｌｅｔ ｕｓ ｋｅｅｐ

ｔｈｅ ｐｅａｃｅ ｏｆ Ｃｈｒｉｓｔ

ｇｒｏｗｉｎｇ ｔｏｗａｒｄ
ＣｈｒｉｓｔＦｏｕｒ ｇｒｏｕｐｓ ｔｏ ｐｒｏｍｏｔｅ ｔｈｅｓｅ ｔｈｒｅｅ ｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔ ｔａｓｋｓ① Ｐｅａｃｅ ｐｐｒｏｍｏｔｉｎｇ
ｇ ｔｅａｍ② Ｃｏｌｌａｂｏｒａｔｉｏｎ ｐｒｏｍｏｔｉｎｇ ｔｅａｍ
③ Ｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎ ｐｒｏｍｏｔｉｎｇ ｔｅａｍ
④ Ｍｕｌｔｉ－ｃｕｌｔｕａｌ ｃｏｅｘｉｓｔｅｎｃｅ ｐｒｏｍｏｔｉｎｇ ｔｅａｍＥ ｈ ｔｅａｍ ｗｏｒｋｓ
Ｅａｃｈｋ ａｔ ｔｈｅｈ ｄｉｏｃｅｓｅ，ａｒｅａ，ｂｌｏｃｋ，ａｎｄｄｉｂｌ ｋｄ ｐａｒｉｓｈ
ｉ ｈ ｌｅｖｅｌｌ ｌ１Guidelines
What can we do in order to become
Apostles of Peace
These guidelines were made by the request of Bishop Misue,
who, on Easter Sunday,2006, published the declaration
concerning Apostlic priorities. It reflects the various opinions
discussed at the meeting of the representatives of Hiroshima
Ｄｉｏｃｅｓｅ,and was revised in 2010. It will help us share theunderstanding of the situation we are in,to clarify the direction of
Apostlic activities of our Diocese,and to promote the mission
described in the Declaration by Bishop. Below is themotto of each activity.
y123

Cherish life

Ripple ofpeace

Practiceeveryday

At eachhCollaboration Accept
otherWorkkW
togetherA new steptforward

Formation

Grow eachothers faith

Cherishthe Mass

The Word isthe source

Multi-cultual
coexistence

Overcome thedifferences

Make ourcommunity
richerSociety
easieri tto liveliinPeace

We hope these guidelines will help each area to overcome various challenges witha positive attitude. May we be able to carry out our duties faithfully and in prayer,hoping to become Apostle of Peace
Peace.

２

Putting peace into practice［Peace promoting team］
１ “toto cherish life”
life－ we immerse ourselves in the blessing of lifeand share joy with others.

ⅰ) we receive power from the Mass, prayer and good works.
ⅱ) we value the link between “the peace of Christ” and evangelization and hope to invite
many into “he peace of Christ”.
ⅲ) we stay close to those who suffer family problems, poverty, loneliness, and sickness,
hoping to bring them some peace.
ⅳ) we focus on problems which endanger love and life such as poverty, the environment,energy resources, the north-south gap.
ⅴ) we work together with local volunteers and other religious groups to help homelesspeople and to build a gospel based society.
ⅵ)) we work to compose
pa “Apostles
pof Peace” gguidelines.

２ “Ｓｅｎｄ ｏｕｔ ａ ｗａｖｅ ｏｆ ｐｅａｃｅ ｆｒｏｍ Ｈｉｒｏｓｈｉｍａ”－ we make our own Pope John Paul Ⅱ’s “Appeal for Peace” delivered
to our Diocese of Hiroshima in 1981.
ⅰ) we read over the Appeal , share its message
message, and put it into practicepractice.
ⅱ) we value the Memorial Cathedral for World Peace as a place for prayer and study ,and we cooperate in its upkeep.
ⅲ) we insist on abolishing nuclear weapons and all war. We regard the ninth article of
the Constitution as a treasure for our diocese; we keep alive its spirit by study in eachparish.
ⅳ) in educating children in faith
faith, we emphasize peace and encourage peace study inHiroshima.

３ “Ｌｅａｒｎ ｅａｃｈ ｄａｙ，Ｐｒａｃｔｉｃｅ ｅａｃｈ ｄａｙ”ⅰ) we take part in various activities during Catholic Peace week (Aug.6-Aug.15) andalso in Okinawa peace activities on Jun.23. We pray for the innumerable victims ofWorld War Ⅱ home and abroad. We recall during the Pacific War, the Catholic
Church in Japan failed to play an evangelical role. We should be aware of the missionof our diocese, which was damaged by the atomic bomb.
ⅱ) in February, the month when Pope John Paul Ⅱ visited Hiroshima, we commemorate
his Appeal of 1981 to spread the Pope’s message.
ⅲ) we publicize peace activities within our diocese and gather materials promoting peace. .
ⅳ) we formfa network off people working forf peace and strengthen interaction between
these groups.

３Practicing collaboration［ Collaboration promoting team］
1. Basic principles(1) we accept each other(2) we work together(3) we challenge ourselves to do something new

2.Concrete activities(1) Mutual acceptanceⅰ) The Church is a place for all ; here we get
the power to communicate, to cooperate and to collaborate.
ⅱ) in order to build up the Body of Christ we respect individuality, especially humanweakness, and strive for mutual acceptance.
ⅲ) we seek our personal role ; to fulfill it, and to dedicate ourselves to spread the Gospel(2) Collaborationⅰ) we bear in mind the evangelical spirit and our diocese’s mission, “Let us become
Apostles of peace” ; we try to realize collaboration in our parish.
ⅱ)) in order to p
put these gguidelines into ppractice,, we adapt
p them in each pparish,,each block, and each district. For this purpose each parish councils andcommittees are important. Each section should prepare a system that functions
smoothly, connecting the diocesan council to each parish. For this, we pray forthe guidance of the Holy Spirit.
ⅲ) we try to enliven existing bloc endeavors ; respecting geography , we try to further
block formation.
formationⅳ) we support the youth apostolate, and join activities that evoke their faith and senseof vocation.
ⅴ) we work together for peace with our sister dioceses, Infanta (Philippines), andPusan (Korea) .
ⅵ) we cooperate with the Hiroshima Diocese’s Disaster Support Center, to help
disaster victims rebuild their lives
lives.
(3) New Challengesⅰ) we try to understand the priorities of the Hiroshima Diocese and share its vision.
ⅱ) we “launch out into the deep” in order to realize “collaboration within the parish,”“collaboration beyond the parish, “collaboration with society,” and “collaboration
with resident foreigners”ⅲ) b
being
i aware thath eachh one off us iis a Ch
Christian,i i
we sharehopinions,
i ib
build
ild mutuall
bonding, and respect the three principles of the decision-making process.

４Practicing Formation［ Formation promoting team］
1. The formation vision (ABC, three factors)
Three revolving factors are at work in formation, affecting
each other.
A : orientation to God
B : telling the good news
C : the Church, the light of the world
A. We keep walking toward God
This is the sign of spiritual growthgrowth.
1 ① growing toward God includes developing our human potential.
ⅰ) learn to communicate smoothly and relations with others.
ⅱ) have the courage to face oneself and walk the path inner freedom.
② growing together with others
share one’s faith with others and support
pp each other(there are many methods and styles of building faith in a community)
2 We emphasize handing on faith to the next generation.
① in each family② in each church

B. We aim for growth in order to spread the gospel of peace
Our source for spreading the gospel is the Mass. We are nourished by God’s words
and the Body of Christ, and then are sent forth to family, school, workplace, local
community and society.
1 The foundation for formation is Jesus’ priestly, prophetic, and royal role.
2 We cherish the Sunday Mass and daily prayer
prayer.
3 The details of formation are important.
① planning that fits the needs of the situation.
② planners, participants, priests, and religious
have to learn from each other.
4 Respect the characteristic of formation ofeach district５

C. Be aware of the fact that the Church is the light of the world
Each of us is the Church. We, who live in the midst of society, are sent to
the world as ones who make the light of Christ shine,
shine as a leaven in society.
society
Our very existence and work speak the good news to those around us..
1. The Church is the light of the world spreading the gospel① we aim for a more active Church② we become more aware of the role of the Church in modern society③ we become more conscious of evangelizing non-Christians.
2. Priests, religious and lay people have a distinctive role
① we promote the communication and collaboration between lay people, religious, and priests② each of us independently strives to fulfill his mission serving the faith community,and putting God’s word to practice daily.
③ religious and priests, aware of their special vocation, actively participate in formation.

2. basic principles(1) We grow together as a community that shares the same faith① we join groups that performs various activities in the Church. When priest are not available,
we follow the example of the early Christians. We join a group that takes care of liturgy,
finance, events, cleaning, maintaining facilities, funerals, evangelization, visiting the sick,or helping the needy, and so forth.
② we provide opportunities for each age group to share their joys, sorrows and problems
across the parish,block and diocese.
(2) We cherish the Mass
① we assist Mass to offer the week’s
week s joy, sorrow, and sufferings to God with Jesus.
② we read in advance the readings of the Sunday Liturgy .
③ we think of general intercessions and pray for each other.
④ we admit to things beyond human power and pray relying on God.
⑤ we deepen our understanding of the Mass.
⑥ we assist Mass conscious of being missioned after Mass, to witness our faith.
(3) WeW becomeb
someone whoh live
li theth gospell① each one of us becomes aware where our mission sends us.
② we look for situations in society or inside the Church that call us tomissions such as visiting the sick, helping the poor.
③ we establish the guidelines of peace and work together④ we learn the mission and how Christians should live fromthe Second Vatican Council and documents of the Japanesebishops.

６Practicing ‘Multi-cultural coexistence’［Multi-cultural coexistence promoting team］
1. Basic principles(1) We overcome the differences of nationality, race, culture, language,
and make efforts to realize the “Kingdom of God” faith-community.
((2)) We turn differences into treasure to make the communityy richer(3) We make an effort to make Japan an easier place for both Japaneseand non-Japanese to live

2. Activities to achieve these goals(1) makek an effort
ff t tot prepare an occasion
i wherehpeoplel ffrom theth sameparish and community dedicate the Mass together(2) when needed, everyone should be able to take part in the Mass, liturgy,
and sacraments in their own language(3) we help children who have a foreign nationality or parents married tof iforeigners
so ththatt theyth can grow ini ffaithith(4) we try to encourage residing foreigners to join in activities anddecision-making as a member of the community, in addition to the liturgy(5) we translate important notices and information of the community, parish
and diocese into foreign languages(6) we prepare opportunities
t iti where
hiinter-culturaltlt l communicationi ti andd multilti
cultural coexistence become possible. We hold events like cooking class,language class, bazaars and sports festival so thatJapanese and non-Japanese can learn
each other’s culture.
(7) llett us solve
l various
iproblems
bloff ffamily,
ileducation, housing, health, employment
and working conditions, social
insurances, human rights and so on.
We form a network with local volunteers
andd authoritiesth iti who
h are ddealingli withith ththeseproblems.
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