The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-01-26

TOXIC, November 25.-The principal
events of the past month have been
of a distinctly religious character. The
long expected, and to the japanese
deeply significant. Thanksgiving pill
grinage of the Emperor, the coming
the Vatican and finally the quiet but
epoch making revolt of the japanese
Congregationalists and Presbyterians
from the control of the American mis-
sionaries are each and all events which
open an interesting vista into the COM
ing years. The first illustrates the
it now appears, vastly strengthened
by hero making war; the two others
show interesting phases of the reli-
gious life of new Japan.
The visit of Bishop O'Connell of
Portland, Me, bearer of the Pope's au-
tograph letter to the Mikado, has been
however, it is projected against a back
ground of intense interest.
Away at the other end Of Japan, in
Nagasaki, stands the little church with
it's wonderful picture of the hills just
across the landlOcked harbor bristling
with martyr laden crosses. Xavier was
world has seen, yet his great work in
Japan was wiped out by an almost
volcanic outburst, precipitated by the
suspicion that it aimed to make Japan
a vassal state to Portugal.
Now when Japan, after the three CEN
turtles of isolation which followed
Xavier, after the forty years of quiet
and submissive tutelage in our days
and after the bloody examination at
its end, has her diploma as a first class
Power, to her comes the Papal Nuncio
restoring ancient relations with all the
tact that is so characteristic of the
Vatican's diplomacy.
Exactly what Bishop OConnelIs
mission included, it is of course impos-
sible to say. Interviewers, even those
of Japanese journals, have been court
eously asked to accept the assurance
that the Nuncio had been received by
their imperial Majesties with much
cordially, but that the extremely deli
cate nature of his mission forbade
even the vaguest hints at its character
It has, however been stated by the
Japanese press that the Popes letter
was an expression of thanks for the
protection of Roman Catholic Chris
tians in Korea and Manchuria during
the war. The Mikado's reply is stated
to have been:
You may rest assured that I shall
protect followers of religion. whatever
their nationality, to the fullest extent
of my sovereign power.
1t further remains fact that, while !
the Court extended many courtesies to
the envoy and finally decorated him |
with the first class Order of the Sacred |
Treasure, he was nevertheless kept |
waiting quite two weeks for his audi |
ence. ostensibly because the depart |
ments We're too busy In preparation |
for the despatch of the high commits
sioners. Marquis Ito and Baron Ko-
mura, to Seoul and Picking, respectively.
1t was also interesting to note thai
while the envoy was most careful to
Heal directly with the Imperial Court
and to avoid formal relations even of |
4 social character with any of The le-
cations, even stating that the dinners
given him by the American and Ger
nan Ministers were strictly personal |
Ind unofficial, yet on the other side
he Japanese Court did not entertain
lin in the Imperial Palace, but de-
)uted Prince Fushimi to give him
luncheon on the following day at the
Shiba 6etachef palace, which was the
esidence of Secretary Taft during his
entire visit in July
The ultra conservative Nippon, in its
rticle on the Archbishops visit, said
The Roman Catholics have the largest
lumber of converts of any foreign faith
n Japan, namely $4,000, but where the
is going on and what
he propagandists are doing, no one
,nows. in fact the while thing produces
bubble on the surface of the
atoms life
But such remarks unqualified are
for the method of evangei-
cation by the French fathers is wholly .
an unobtrusive kind. Recognizing =
hat the family, not the Individual. is :
he social unit in Japan, they have
lWays aimed at the conversion of
eads of families I
This has been done, not by public :
addresses, but quietly. and =
has brought into the Church. not
0litary men and women liable to be :
educed from their faith by influential :
lembers of their family or clan, but :
hole families, to grow quietly into the :
ew belief. Whatever then, may ap- :
ear to be signified by the quiet char
cter of Bishop O'ConnelTs visit, it :
lust be remembered that it is quite
| accord with the spirit of the work .
e came to strengthen.
The Protestant phase of the months -
ork has likewise been quietly done, '
ut it will probably be looked back up
I as marking a distinct epoch in the
story of Protestant missions in ia =
an. The two largest sections of the
lp2neSe PrOfaStantS the PraShNteri- ! "