The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-07-11
fastness that is nothing less than
thrilling.
Persecution and Prosperity.

thrilling.
Persecution and Prosperity.
Lulled into a sense of security by
the coming of the missionaries, the
Christians openly avowed themselves.
But in 1868 the present emperor re-
iterated the ancient anti. Christian
edicts, in the following proclama-
tions:
THE evil sect, called Christian, is
sons should be reported to the proper
officers and rewards will be given"
With respect to the Christian sect,
the existing prohibition must be
strictly observed. Evil sects are
strictly prohibited"
For several years the Christians
who refused to forswear their faith
were again called upon to pass
through the fires OF persecution.
They were exiled and Imprisoned and
tortured to the number of more than
6,000-2,000 again paying the last
full measure of devotion" Full re-
ligious liberty was granted, however,
in 1873, and since then the Roman
Catholic church has made remarkable
progress in Japan, especially among
the poor and lowly, to whom it has
particularly ministered.
There are 243 Roman Catholic mis-
sionaries in Japan, all members OF
the Society of Jesus, and practically
all French. Some antagonism was
shown to them during the late war,
because of Frances alliance with
Russia, but this was generally over
come by the tact or the missionaries
themselves. The self-sacTitice and
zeal of these men is praised by every
body. A frequent subject of remark
is the manner in which they share
the poverty of the natives among
whom they live One of the fathers
himself says on this point:
The mission requires that its
workers should live according to the
precepts of evangelical poverty, and
so, aside from lodging, it allows only
23 yen ($11.50) a month to Euro.
pean missionaries 1t is misery to
those who have no private means.
Nevertheless. there are several who
must content themselves with this pit
tance and live on such modest re.
sources. Strange to relate, it is just
these last who succeed best in evan.
gelization. The Japanese people, be-
ing themselves poor, listen more read
lily to an apostle who lives a life of
privation than to one who has a
modest competence" Repeatedly
have heard the contrast made be.
tween the style of living adopted by
the Roman Catholics, and that of the
Protestant missionaries, and always
in favor of the former.
Nuns came In 1872, and their first
was young woman named Kataoka,
known as Sister Margaret" who was
the sister and daughter of mar.
tyrs," and whose death was has
tened by the ill-usage she had en-
dured as a child in Jail, where she
saw her father executed for his faith
The Cistercian Trappists. whose or
der dates from the twelfth century
have two colonies, one of monks and
one of nuns in the northern island OF
Yezo. not far from Hakodate. These
are all engaged in agriculture, and
their farms are regarded as models
by the Japanese government. Theil
time is divided between prayer and
farm work They arise at two a. m
During several hours daily they OBJ
serve the rule of silence.
Of Roman Catholic churches in
JaPan-usually more prepossessing i'll
appearance than the Protestant
there are 145, with 3S5 preaching sta
tions in addition. The membership is
now 10000, ministered to by 243
missionaries, 119 of whom are priests
and 124 nuns. There are 80 Japan.
ese priests and 269 native helpers,
While the church has no difficulty
with the problem of independence
which vexes the Protestant mis-
sions. this is probably due to the fact
that it has given little attention to
the subject of self-support. The co..
900 Japanese Catholics contribute
only 1000 yen ($1,OOO) year for the
support of their churches, the funds
coming from Europe.
In word. l may sum up the pres
ent situation with respect to Roman
Catholic missions by saying that
while from preference, they work
quietly and in obscurity, taking no va
cations, doing no Advertising, have
found substantial evidence of their
presence and labors in every part OF
Japan l have visited; and nowhere
have l heard aught said of them, by
Protestants or by Japanese, in other
than in terms of praise.
(CopYright 1907. by Josenh b BoWles)