The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-12-11
Of THE FAITH IN THE
PROGRESSIVE KINGDOM OF THE M|KAD0
Interesting Letter From Of the Maats Who Have Several
Floushing Educational Establishments Japan Of them
being their College Toxic of 800 Studens The Native
Converts Number Sixty-five Thousand.

The Annua]s of the Faith for the cur
rent month contains very interesting
letter from Father Lebon on the F'u-
! ture of Catholicity in Japan, from
which the following is taken:
The past, present and future of Ja-
pan afford reasons for special effort on
the part of Catholics for her conver
sion. Among no other nation of mod
ern times has the beginning of Chris
tianity been more glorious.
Evangelical about the middle Of the
sixteenth century by Saint Francis
Xavier, and, later by other Jesuits, as
also by Dominicans and Franci."ans,
this beautiful country showed itself
marvelously we'll disposed toward Cath
olic influences. After an apostolate of
lion Catholics in the Mikado's empire.
Then began violent persecution
during which the Christian Japanese,
many of tlcm but newly converted
from paganism, became confessors of
the Faith and were martyred by hun
dre.1s.
| The twenty six Japanese martyrs OF
1897 were raised to the honors OF the
affairs by Pope Plus TX. These noble
souls represent the heroic legion Of
their compatriots who, during the per-
| lat Il
Christ.
A period unique in the history nf
the Church followed the apparent OBJ
liberation of all traces of Catholi.ity in
the empire. From 1880 to 1865, with
out priests or the sacrnmcnts (save
sometimes baptism), the descendants OF
the Japanese who had received the
Faith, preserved it.
When Catholic missionaries were
again able to penetrate into Japan
they found, to their astonishment, some
Japanese Christians. OF this rumbcr.
about 1000 afterwards 1.crished. IN con-
sequence of the i'll treatment thcv re-
ceived in the persecutioa of 4sGS 1874.
when from 5000 to 5000 Japanese
Catholics were either cast into prison
or deported from the country.
The present status of Japan also ap-
peals to the Catholic missionary spirit.
The success in war, political cOnstitu-
ton, alliances with great European
powers, and the rapid development in
Sun had givcn this nation q prominent
place among the countries Of the Far
East
The explanation Of this prominence
is the advancement Of education in Ja-
pan. The primary schools are more
largely attended than in any other
country of the world and recently, the
government department of public edu-
cation has .decreed attendance at
school obligatory for all chldSen from
the age of two years upward.
| Secondary and high schools aHd COL
leges are also numerous and well at!
tended. The University of Toxic has
800 professors and more than 5000 stu
dents. This is certainly great nation.
but it is today still a pagan nation.
Japan has nearly 5o,000,O00 inhabi-
tants. Among these there are perhaps
sixty or sixty-five thousand Catholics,
nearly as many Protestants and thirty
Thousand Russian Schismatics.
The Japanese government has in this
era apparently abandoned all idea Of
prosecuting the Christians. In some
instances it has even shown itself fa-
vorably disposed toward the Catholic
missionaries. Now when, beneatE the
pressure Of so-called progress: the old
traditions that formed the basis of Ja-
panese morals are crumbling away. the
government, perhaps, feels the need Of
availing itself Of the assistance OF a
power and authority that can hold hn-
man nature in check. This power is
to be found in the teachings and doc
trines Of Catholicity. From this point
of view, accordingly, the time is fa-
vorable for apostolic effort among the
Japanese. Finally, our separated oreth-
rem, the Protestants of many sects.
are multiplying their missionary efforts
among these people and our zeal should
certainly surpass their activity.