THE MISSIONS IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY 1901-1909
HOWEVER it may be to those more directly concerned with the progress of the Roman Catholic Church in Japan, its later history presents, to one outside of its communion, but few striking events. Such a person can not be greatly interested in the coming and going of individual missionaries, or even in the appointment of new bishops to take the place of those who have passed away. Year by year, whether those in attendance be many or few, the Church’s services of worship are conducted in the same way; it carries on its educational and charitable institutions with some increase in their number, yet with little change in their methods; and it adds slowly though steadily to the number of its adherents; but, except that its edifices are often prominent features in the appearance of the cities where they are located, the missions are carried 011 in ways that but slightly attract the attention of the outside world. There have been, however, some events connected with the development of the Roman Catholic Church in the twentieth century that demand a place in this history.
The interests of the Church in Japan, as has been seen, were for a long time entrusted to the Société des Missions-Étrangères of Paris, and thus, nearly all of the missionaries were French. After the Spanish-American war many of the Dominicans removed from the Philippine Islands, and in 1904, the Propaganda having caused the Island of Shikoku, which then had three hundred Roman Catholic Christians and four chapels, to be given into the care of their order, six of these Spanish friars went to this field. A company of Franciscans have set-tied in Sapporo, where considerable of their time is given to the teaching of English, German, and French, probably with the hope suggested in a report of the Société des Missions-Étrangères, which says: “If the teaching of languages has as a result a students’ hostel and later a real college, it may be believed that the élite of the next generation will be led to our holy religion.”
The desire of the Jesuits to re-enter Japan has at length been granted, and in 1908, members of that Society went thither, entrusted with the task of founding an educational institution of high grade. Thus three of the orders that long ago laboured in Japan have returned to the scenes of their former triumphs and sufferings.
A company of Trappists that had come to Japan in 1896 and established a monastery near Hakodate, began, about 1901, to attract considerable attention because of accounts that were published by journalists who had visited them and been impressed by their austere method of life. At first the community had experienced great difficulties from the severity of the northern winter, from sickness and even death, from the hostility of the people among whom they settled, from unfriendly articles in the newspapers, from the interference of officials, from the destruction of one of their buildings in a typhoon, and from insufficient funds. They gradually disarmed prejudice, and by 1902, about fifty persons, children and adults, living in the neighbourhood, had been baptised by them. The products of the farm that they cultivated were of such excellent quality as to gain a ready sale, so that a report made in 1902 said that, if means for clearing more land could be found, the community might hope that after a while it could be supported by its own labour. The same report says:
“The principal object of our foundation was to introduce the religious life into Japan. In fact, we are the first and only religious order here. If it is true that it is as well worth while to make one native priest as to make a thousand Christians, how much more is this true of a religious destined for the priesthood? We have now eleven Japanese, of whom five are professed religious and six novices; three more will enter soon.”*
Near the monastery is a company of nuns belonging to the allied order of Notre Dame des Anges.
In Kyushu many descendants of the ancient Christians still hold themselves aloof from the missionaries; the Report of the Société des Missions-Étrangères for 1903, says that they are more difficult to reach than the pagans, though most of the forty-four adults baptised at Urakami the previous year were from this class. The Report for 1906 says that in Ikutsukishima—the island formerly under the rule of “Prince Anthony”—there were still six thousand of these “séparés.”
M. Ferrand has taken much interest in the establishment of hostels for students attending higher institutions of learning. This work he began in 1899, when a small building for the purpose was obtained in Tokyo. Soon afterward another was opened in Kanazawa (Kaga). In these hostels the students paid for their lodgings, but, in addition to being under helpful influences, they received from the missionaries gratuitous instruction in foreign languages. Obedience to rules, such as that forbidding the inmates to be absent at night, was required. The directors learned by enquiries at the different schools whether the students were regular in their attendance and whether their conduct was good. In 1906, M. Ferrand, in writing of what had been accomplished, said of the boarders in these hostels:
“Under a gentle, paternal surveillance, a rule easy to accept, they live in an atmosphere really Christian, where they receive instruction adapted to their needs from a religious, philosophical, historical, and scientific point of view. Little by little, thanks to the lectures they follow and to private conversations, the errors and prejudices imbibed at school are disappearing; ignorance and doubts are vanishing; the true religion and its ministers are better understood and appreciated. Many souls who have remained upright come nearer to us and make the decisive step for which they are prepared; the light shines for them and it is thus that more than a hundred students have been converted and baptised
“We have also established a club of Catholic students to group together all those who are in Tokyo and through them attract the non-Catholic young men. This little society counts in all about eighty members; they meet once a month for conferences given by the missionaries and the older students. . . . For more than a year the members of the Catholic students’ club have published a little monthly review of about seventy pages, called the Shin Riso (New Ideal), which treats from a Catholic point of view all serious questions which may interest the student.”*
The Japanese are very fond of theatrical representations, and in some places the missionaries have taken advantage of this fact for reaching the people by means of what bear some resemblance to the mystery plays of the Middle Ages. At one of the first exhibitions of this kind the drama was founded on the history of the Twenty-six Japanese Martyrs. A report of it says:
“The actors performed their parts with faith and true piety. From the fifteen or sixteen pagans that the building could contain not a single unpleasant word was heard. On the contrary, the pagan women wept with emotion, while the men waxed indignant over the cruelty with which the executioners treated the martyrs The effect that was produced has exceeded our hopes. Many pagans who for some years have been inclined towards Catholicism were converted."†
M. Angles, writing from Osaka, says that, as the exhibitions are conducted there, the actors are usually selected from the young men of the parish or from inmates of the orphan asylum. Among the most effective pieces are those founded on the story of Joseph and on that of the Twenty-six Martyrs. Large audiences listen with close attention, not only to the dramas, but also to the short addresses on religious themes that are introduced between the acts.
Many publications have been issued in recent years. M. Ligneul has been specially active in preparing a number of books on subjects more or less directly connected with religion. These have established for him a reputation as a scholar, and probably led to his being invited to give a series of lectures at Tokyo, before the Imperial Educational Society. He took for his subject “The Philosophy of Teaching,” and the lectures were published by the society. Afterwards he delivered an other course before the students of philosophy in the Imperial University of Tokyo, upon “The Place of Philosophy in Contemporary Society.”
The war with Russia probably affected the Roman Catholics less than it did the Protestants and Greeks, though they shared the work done in behalf of the soldiers and their families. The Mission’s request that it be allowed to send one or more priests to care for the spiritual interests of Catholic soldiers and to engage in beneficent efforts for others, was not granted by the Government. Among the Russian prisoners brought to Japan were many Polish Catholics, and the missionaries gained permission to visit these. The Bishop of Osaka, when visiting one of the prisons, spoke to an audience of twelve hundred men of different races. At that time he confirmed three hundred and fifty Poles.*
Of another place a missionary wrote:
“Our five hundred prisoners have all made their confessions and been communicated. We say mass for them regularly, every Sunday and nearly every Thursday, so that they are really better provided with services than they were in Russia. In the two places where mass is said for them the prisoners have fitted up proper chapels; the sergeants serve at the mass, and some of them would take rank with the most experienced servers."†
Father Steichen thus describes how the interest taken in the prisoners excited the suspicion and distrust of ultra-patriotic Japanese:
“Some of our Christians abandoned their religion because the missionary had gone to visit the Russian prisoners in order to offer his services to some Polish Catholics among them. Another reason for this abandonment of their faith was that the missionary had incurred the suspicion of being a Russian spy, because he had gone to witness the departure of troops for the front."‡
In November, 1905, Archbishop O’Connell of Maine (afterwards of Boston) went to Japan as a legate from the Pope to return thanks for favours that had been shown to Roman Catholics in Japan, and for protection given at the time of the war to those in Manchuria. He was given an audience by the Emperor, and at a reception tendered to him in the Y. M. C. A. Hall of Tokyo, several Protestants were among the speakers.
Roman Catholicism has been, to a greater extent than Protestantism, subject to the charge that it tends to weaken the spirit of loyalty. This is partly because of the prejudice occasioned by the events of three centuries ago, because fewer of its followers have been among those taking a prominent part in national affairs, and because of what is thought to be its attitude in some European countries. One French missionary speaks of having the objection thus thrown at him:
“Catholicism is not a religion fitted to Japan, because a Catholic is deficient in patriotism.”
“What proof have you of that?”
“What proof? Why is it that Clemenceau makes war on the French Church? Is it not because French Catholics are not patriots?
Another effect of the troubles in France was that the contributions from that country to the work of missions were greatly diminished. Letters of the missionaries abound in regrets that lack of funds prevented their utilising the opportunities that were before them. They were inclined to contrast their condition in this respect with that of the Protestants, whom they supposed to be provided with immense sums. Little had been done to develop self-support in the Japanese churches. Father Steichen, writing in 1904 of the self-sacrificing spirit of the missionaries, said:
“Instead of requiring the faithful to come to their aid, whether for the maintenance of the churches or for other running expenses, as is done in all other parishes throughout the world, they deprived themselves of necessaries in order to defray the expenses themselves. So the 58,086 Catholics of Japan contribute hardly 2,000 yen for the maintenance of the Mission.”*
The greatly increased cost of living in Japan combined with the lessening of the contributions from France to cripple the work. The Report of the Société des Missions-Etrangères for 1906, in speaking of the reduced number of seminarists studying at Nagasaki, said that the mission, alarmed at the financial outlook, did not dare to call to the service of the Church young men, to whom after ordination it would be unable “to furnish such sustenance as is required by the canons. The mission at Nagasaki has no resources of its own, and the best Christian communities will long be incapable of undertaking the support of the native clergy that is already in existence.” M. Sauret wrote, in 1905, that the cost of living had so increased that most of the missionaries had dispensed with their catechists, and he went on to say:
“This means an absolute stand-still in our missionary labours, properly speaking, as it is impossible for us Europeans to do any direct work among the pagan element of the population. To reach it we need the catechist as an intermediary; the very fact that we are foreigners is an insuperable obstacle to our being admitted in a pagan family, much less gaining its confidence.”
The same letter says:
“The diocese of Nagasaki is rather behind in regard to the evangelisation of the pagans: this is due to the fact that the old Christians of St. Francis Xavier, discovered by Bishop Petitjean in 1865, are all in this part of the country. For many years the missionaries had all they could do to minister to those Christians, who numbered several thousands. Although they had kept the faith, they were very ignorant and had to be instructed and trained in the practices of religion. I was the first one to attack the pagans and not without some success. I formed a catechist to clear up the ground for me, and that man has brought to the faith a number of pagans.”
After speaking of the need for a dispensary, the letter continues:
“But if we want a dispensary to do some good to the soul, we must also employ Catholic Japanese nurses. They are indispensable and would alone be able to make conversions. Sisters might have direction of the institution, but they could do no effective work for the evangelisation of the pagans. Their habit and their nationality would always stand in their way. The Japanese keep strangers at a distance. In their heart of hearts they despise them more or less, though exteriorly they preserve a respectful silence. There is no possible intimate association under such conditions and consequently the heart is not won over and it is difficult to effect a sincere conversion. In dispensaries and in hospitals a Japanese woman could do a great deal of good. A sick man or woman would speak to her with sincerity and would not hesitate to ask her about the character, life, and religion of the foreigners at the head of the dispensary. From admiration it will be easy for them to pass to imitation. The patients would not dare to ask similar questions of the Sisters; and, even if they did, they would not pay much heed to the answers; in their opinion all foreigners must have a motive of human interest for coming to Japan and it must be for their advantage to keep it concealed. With-such a feeling of distrust, no mutual confidence can be established. After they are once converted, the men will speak frankly to me of their disposition before baptism. Nurses, therefore, will not only do good at the dispensaries, but they will dispose men to study the Christian doctrines by visiting them in their homes. . . . Moreover, if a child is dying in the neighbourhood, it can be baptised unknown to the parents. My woman catechist baptises a number of pagan children every year in this way. Every one knows that she is in my employ, and as I have the reputation of being a good medical doctor, the people imagine that, by being associated with me, she has learned to take care of the sick. She can present herself anywhere where there are sick children. As she has a weakness for finding fever and always discovers microbes in a dirty skin, she, of course, needs water to lower the temperature or bathe the parts affected by the microbes. Whilst the pagans admire so much scientific knowledge in a Japanese woman, she profits by the occasion to administer the Sacrament of Baptism, making use of the Latin formula. The unknown language sounds rather strange to pagan ears; they imagine her words to be some kind of incantation to add efficacy to the remedies.”*
Imperial recognition of Christian philanthropy was shown, about this time, by the conferring of the Blue Ribbon on M. Bertrand and Sister Marie Colombe, for what they have done among lepers, and on M. Corre for his works of charity. This honour is bestowed on persons that have performed noteworthy deeds of public utility. On M. Vernier, who has been engaged in education, was conferred the decoration of the Order of the Sacred Treasure.
Perhaps the most successful enterprises under Roman Catholic auspices have been the schools of the Marianites. The first of these, as has already been mentioned, was established at Tokyo in 1887. Up to 1906, Japanese and European boys were educated together; but, as it was found advisable to make a division, the latter, with most of the Eurasians, were then sent to a new school that was opened in Yokohama. The next year it had 130 pupils, representing sixteen or eighteen different nationalities. Statistics of the Tokyo school for 1907 show that it was attended by 685 Japanese, 17 Chinese and Koreans, and 8 Eurasians. The enumeration by religions shows “Catholics, 71; Catechumens, 29; Pagans, 610.” That it was reaching the upper classes of society is shown by its having thirty pupils from families belonging to either the old or new nobility of Japan. There were twenty-eight sons of generals or admirals; while others were sons of ambassadors, ministers of state, consuls, judges, members of the Diet, etc. Two of the Marianites were professors in the Imperial University, one taught in the Nobles’ School, and two in military schools. The order also had a school at Nagasaki with 388 pupils, another (begun in 1906) at Kumamoto, and a commercial school at Osaka with about 600 students. The account from which these figures are taken, says that an “Apostolic School” had just been opened at Urakami, and already had more than thirty pupils. “It will have for its end the recruiting of religious, whether priests or not, who will devote themselves to teaching. If some prove unfitted for religious lives, they will be employed as free teachers, and thus, while living in the world, will be able to render valuable service.”*
One difficulty attending missionary work at this period was probably felt in a greater degree by the Roman Catholics than by the Protestants. It was that which came from the changes in population. The young people were moving from the country into the manufacturing and commercial centres. Coming into new and sometimes unfavourable surroundings they were tempted to conceal their religion or to grow weak in the faith. After the war with Russia, many Japanese removed to Korea and Manchuria, where the chances of their being in helpful religious surroundings were small. The Report of the Société des Missions-Etrangères for 1907, makes frequent mention of the weakening of small communities of Christians by such removals.
The Report of the same society for 1906, in explaining the reason for slow progress, mentions, besides other things to which reference has already been made, the fact that the Catholic doctrine rests upon the principle of authority, and says: “This principle our Japanese would perhaps admit if the seat of that authority were Japan; but their national pride opposes itself to permitting that a foreigner should, apart from the Emperor, have control over them.”
What has been accomplished in the half century since Japan has been re-opened to the missionaries of the Roman Catholic Church, so far as this can be told by figures, is shown by the following statistics for 1908, taken from the Annual Report of the Société des Missions-Étrangères (Paris. 1909):
DIOCESE
Tokyo
Nagasaki
Osaka
Hakodate
Total
Catholic population 9,625 44,931 3,711 4,427 62.694 Churches and chapels 36 122 27 32 217 Bishops 1 1 1 1 4 Missionaries 32 36 26 25 119 Native priests 3 26 3 1 33 Catechists 21 335 39 21 416 Seminaries 1 1 — 1 3 Seminarists 2 16 — 2 20 Communities of men 2 2 1 3 8 Religieux 34 18 6 35 93 Communities of women 5 17 5 3 30 Religieuses 87 221 23 389 Conversion of heretics 5 — 4 1 10 Baptisms of pagans * 705 522 243 342 1,812 Baptisms of pagan children in articulo mortis 300 767 511 267 1,845 Baptisms of children of Christians 195 1,657 97 65 2,014
DIOCESE
Tokyo
Nagasaki
Osaka
Hakodate
Total
Schools 12 8 5 8 33 Pupils 1,989 1,186 1,694 1,033 5,903 Crèches and orphanages 3 8 5 3 19 432 188 174 133 927 Industrial schools 7 6 7 — 20 Children in same 111 105 258 — 474 Pharmacies and dispensaries 3 7 — 4 14 Hospitals and leper asylums 1 2 — — 3 The Official Catholic Directory (United States) for 1908, gives the following additional statistics of the previous year for the work of the Dominicans in the Prefecture Apostolic of Shikoku:
Prefect Apostolic 1 Missionaries 6 Catechists 3 Churches or chapels 5 Baptisms of adults 29 Baptisms of children of Christian parents 4 Baptisms of children of pagans, in articulo mortis 32 Catholic population 300 Footnotes
* “Annals Prop. Faith,” Amer. Ed., July-Aug., 1902.
* “Annals Prop. Faith,” Supplement to Amer. Ed., December 1906.
† “L’Evangile au Japon au XXe Siècle,” p. 160.
* “Annals Prop, Faith,” Am. Ed., December, 1905.
† “Christian Movement,” vol. iv., p. 210.
‡ Ib., vol. iii, p. 182.
* “Christian Movement,” vol. ii., p. 197.
* “Annals Prop. Faith,” Supplement to Am. Ed„ June, 1905.
* “Annals de la Société des Missions-Étrangères,” July-August, 1908.
* Of the “Baptisms of pagans” those in articulo mortis were at Tokyo, 521; Nagasaki, 175; Osaka, 67; Hakodate, 145; Total, 908.
PART II
THE GREEK ORTHODOX MISSION