A samurai carries an assortment of weapons, but basically the sword.#
►LORD JUSTO UKON TAKAYAMA (1552-1615) – known in Manila as ‘Don Justo Ukondono’ — had a reputation of being one of the ablest generals of the Sengoku Period (戦国時代). He was once the commanding general of ‘Kampaku’ Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s vanguard. Of him, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543 – 1616), who would become the first Tokugawa Shogun in 1603, said: “In Ukon’s hands 1,000 soldiers would be worth more than 10,000 in the hands of whosoever else.”
This illustration — a book cover — shows Lord Ukon Takayama before the Takatsuki Castle which he acquired at age 21.
After Takayama was stripped of his second feudal domain at Akashi in 1587, he became a ‘ronin‘ — a masterless samurai. He sought protection from other another Christian daimyo, who was too important and too useful for Hideyoshi to harm. But within the year, Ukon found a place (with the tacit ‘approval’ of Hideyoshi) in Kanazawa – which was the domain of the Maeda, who controlled Etchū, Kaga, and Noto provinces. Here, he served as guest-general (‘Kyakusho’) of the Maeda military – while maintaining openly a Christian community (with an occasional Jesuit priest) in Noto Peninsula with some 600 Christian ‘ronin’ who had all lost their ‘samurai-status’ because of their Christianity.
This illustration, of unknown provenance, was labelled ‘Takayama Ukon — as Ronin’
IN MANILA where Lord Takayama was welcomed as “the epitome of the Japanese spirit,” Spanish Governor-General Juan de Silva (r. 1609 – 1616) visited him “almost everyday” to pump him for information about the military infrastructure of Japan.
Dedicated Christian — But True-Blue Japanese Too
But Lord Takayama, though he and his family had been exiled by Tokugawa Japan for his Christianity, was a true-blue Japanese patriot, who scoffed at the hare-brained plan of Silva (supported by two or three militant Jesuits) – to invade Japan with a Spanish expeditionary force to assist the beleaguered Christians in southern Japan – on the conceit that one armed Spaniard was equivalent to 15 fighting Japanese. Silva was also counting on the support of the Christian daimyos of the South — who would presumably fight on Spain’s side — against the Tokugawa Shogunate. Ha?
Lord Takayama tried to disabuse Silva about the feasibility of such a military plan. He pointed out that in his first feudal domain, Takatsuki which, though smallish, strategically straddled the only highway between the power centers of Kyoto and Osaka, he had a standing army of professional warriors who trained daily and were warriors year-round – unlike the farmer-soldiers of Europe who were called to arms only in case of war. In his own bailiwick, Takayama could call to arms some 20,000 men – armed with swords, spears, archers, arquebuses, hand-thrown explosives and wheeled cannons.
Each Daimyo — (There Were More Than 200) — Had a Larger Standing Army, Year-Round, Than Spanish Manila
When Takayama was transferred to Akashi (明石市), in Hyōgo Prefecture, he had an income of 60,000 ‘koku’ – meaning he could theoretically support an army of 60,000 men.
And there were 200 daimyos throughout Japan, which – though not yet united as one nation – could cohese to fight a foreign invader – just as they fought off two attempted Mongol invasions of Japan (元寇 Genkō), which were launched in 1274 and 1281 by Kublai Khan, the Mongol leader of China’s Yuan Dynasty. The entire nation was mobilized – including the dregs of society like the despised ‘wako’ who were dreaded pirates of the high seas menacing the coasts of China and the Philippines. The ‘wako’ — (Think Yakuza!) — transformed themselves into a formidable navy of their own — this time, in the service of Japan.
Two Mongol Invasion Attempts ‘Unify’ Japan, Convince the Nation It Cannot Be Invaded by Foreign Forces
Between two Mongol attempts (1274, 1281) – there was an interval of seven years, during which time, Japan’s self-defense forces camped at Kyushu’s Hakata Bay (near present-day Fukuoka, Japan) – and were housed and fed for seven years – while waiting for the expected second Mongol invasion.
(To students of Philippine history: Could a Filipino military force of 70,000 be stationed at the mouth of Manila Bay – for seven years – without dying of boredom or breaking up into intramural fights among themselves?)
While Lord Takayama was enroute to the Philippines, the Winter Campaign (Nov. 8, 1614-Jan. 22, 1615) of the Siege of Osaka was fought between the Toyotomi Clan and the Tokugawa Shogunate. Hideyori sent emissaries to Ukon Takayama offering command of Hideyori’s forces — which he declined.
UNKNOWN TO Governor-General Silva, as he was plotting in 1614-15 his military calculations for Manila — not Spain — to “invade Japan” — completely clueless about the epic scale and protracted duration of Japanese warfare — era-changing events were unfolding in Osaka as Toyotomi Hideyori (豊臣 秀頼), 22-year-old son and designated successor of the ‘Taiko’ Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), prepared to do battle with the Tokugawa who had established a Shogunate in 1603. Their first inconclusive clash (Nov. 8, 1614-Jan. 22, 1615) ended in a truce. [Notice that the battle began on the same day that Ukon’s exile boat departed for Manila.]
Ukon Is Offered Command of Hideyori’s Besieged Forces
Hideyori had sent emissaries to Nagasaki to offer Ukon the command of Toyotomi forces in the final battle between Hideyori and the Tokugawa. But his emissaries missed Ukon by three days, as the Chinese junk had sailed for Manila on Nov. 8, 1614. The emissaries followed Ukon to Manila and met Ukon at the Inner Court of the San Agustin Convent. (The garden, not damaged during World War II, is still there today).
Here was a chance for Ukon to fight on home soil again. Defending a castle he was familiar with. Against an adversary who had banished him – and his family – to Manila with the cunning calculation Ukon could never return again.
But Ukon was firm: He would spend the rest of his years in the Philippines in prayer and in spreading the Word of God.
Tokugawa Shogunate Obliterates Hideyori’s 71,500-Man Army in June 1615
The Tokugawa Shogunate put a decisive ‘finis’ to the Toyotomi clan’s challenge by totally annihilating its 71,500-man army [including Gen. Thome Naito who returned from exile in Manila, and the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Mushashi] at the Summer Campaign of the Siege of Osaka – May 26-June 3, 1615 – including Hideyori himself and his wife, Senhime, a granddaughter of Ieyasu.
Dedicated to Prayer and Evangelization
LORD JUSTO TAKAYAMA was clear: he would not return to Japan at the head of a Spanish invading force. He would dedicate the rest of his life to prayer and evangelization. As he spoke only Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish, his mission field in Manila was limited to some 3,000 Japanese non-Christian settlers in the Paco area. Which is what he proceeded to undertake.
Accompanied by his five grandsons, and ‘shadowed’ by his volunteer bodyguards – the three Christian ‘ronin’ Hayakawa Uhyoe; Shibayama Gombei, and Ukita Kyukan who had been in Ukon’s Catholic community in Noto Peninsula – Don Justo made a number of converts in the Franciscan parish of Paco, and brought them to baptism at the Paco Catholic Church (today, San Fernando de Dilao Parish Church) – with his grandsons standing as baptismal sponsors.
Surrendering ‘Samurai Sword’ to Franciscans?
To signal his firm resolve to live out his days in prayer, Takayama surrendered his trusty samurai sword – not to the militant Jesuits, many of whom were ex-military, like their founder, St. Ignatius de Loyola (1491-1556) – but to the peace-loving Franciscans, whose six Franciscan confreres drew the first blood of martyrdom at Nagasaki in the first martyrdoms ordered by Hideyoshi on Feb. 5, 1597. The first martyrs, now canonized as saints, are venerated today as “The 26 Martyrs of Nagasaki.”
Why the Franciscans? Takayama had actually never met any Franciscan friars in Japan. When the first Franciscan missionaries arrived in Japan, Ukon was already a back-number in Kanazawa, where he spent 26 years in domestic exile. But in 1597, when the first list of martyrs was being drawn-up by Hideyoshi’s officials, Takayama, as Japan’s most celebrated ‘Kirishitan Samurai,’ had topped the list – a martyrdom Takayama welcomed, if God so willed.
But Ukon’s name was crossed-out after two ‘great daimyo’ — Lord Maeda Toshiie (who, since 1588, had been the liege lord of Ukon who commanded Lord Maeda’s troops in support of Hideyoshi’s campaign at Odawara in 1590) and Lord Ishida Mitsunari (1563-1600), daimyō of Sawayama in Ōmi Province, a 500,000-koku fief (now a part of Hikone) — asked Hideyoshi not to humiliate and crucify Ukon — in a grim parody of Calvary. There were too many uncalculated consequences.
In Manila, Ukon replaced his samurai sword with a crucifix. The ‘Decree of Martyrdom’ issued by Pope Francis on Jan. 21, 2016, recognized Ukon Takayama as a “layperson … from Japan [who] died from the hatred of the Faith on Feb. 3, 1615 in Manila, Philippines.” Ukon was beatified — declared ‘Blessed Justo Ukon Takayama’ — on Feb. 7, 2017.YEARS AGO, I checked out the ‘sword tale’ with the Franciscan archivist, Fr. Pedro Ruano, OFM, asking where ‘Takayama’s Samurai Sword’ could be. He said, “It would be in Madrid – if we have it in the first place.”
One day, someone will get to check out this slender historical thread. But in the scheme of things, this is just a tantalizing history factoid for now.#
Could Lord Takayama – a.k.a. Minami-no-Bô TAKAYAMA Hida no-kami – have shown the Manila-based religious missionary orders the refinements of the Japanese tea ceremony? Actually, there is no archival account, but there is a titillating anecdote. (Photos from Urasenke International.)
►When Lord Justo Ukon Takayama (1552-1615) arrived in Manila with 350 Japanese Christian exiles on Sunday, Dec. 21, 1614 — tea, coffee and ‘tsokolate’ were the hot drinks of choice in the Walled City. The Chinese traded and settled in the Philippines for hundreds of years before the Spaniards came, so tea was just another health drink, available by the kettle at the bazaars of the ‘Parian de los Sanglayes.’
Tea from China was being served in Manila like an everyday beverage. There was no ceremony like the Japanese developed.
Certainly, Lord Takayama was the first Japanese authority on the Japanese Tea Ceremony to arrive in Manila. But the Jesuit accounts did not contain any reference that Takayama had introduced the ceremony. It is unlikely that Takayama would have thought of the Manila Cathedral as a proper venue for such a cultural encounter.
Did Ukon Takayama Bring Utensils for the Japanese Tea Ceremony to Manila?
When Ukon Takayama bade goodbye in February 14, 1614 to Lord Toshinaga Maeda (1562-June 7, 1614) — who was uncertain whether Takayama would fight the Tokugawa deportation order – Maeda accepted the proffer of gold nuggets Ukon earned for the previous year, but declined the tea utensils which Takayama prized so much. Presumably, Ukon brought with him these utensils (and a supply of green tea) on his voyage to exile.
Sen no Rikyū, the leading teamaster of the regent Toyotomi Hideyoshi, is perhaps the best-known — and still revered — historical figure in tea ceremony. He followed his master Takeno Jōō‘s concept of ichi-go ichi-e, a philosophy that each meeting should be treasured, for it can never be reproduced. His teachings perfected many newly developed forms in architecture and gardens, art, and the full development of the “Way of Tea.” The principles he set forward — harmony (和 wa), respect (敬 kei), purity (清 sei), and tranquility (寂 jaku) — are still central to tea ceremony today.
Ukon Takayama was one of seven prized pupils of Sen no Rikyū (1522 – April 21, 1591), who is considered the historical figure with the most profound influence on the development of Chanoyu. Ukon, who is always included in the variable list of the celebrated Rikyushichitetsu (Rikyu’s Seven), was credited with refining the tea ceremony into a serene celebration, with ritual movements “almost like a Mass.” The spirit of the art of tea – characterized by the qualities of harmony, reverence, purity, and tranquility — found in Ukon Takayama its Christian transfiguration.
Japanese Tea Ceremony at the Manila Cathedral
During Cardinal Jaime Sin’s stewardship as Manila Archbishop (1974-2003), he permitted some Japanese teamasters from the Urasenke School to celebrate their tea ceremony at the Manila Cathedral – right in front of the main altar. They brought the story that Lord Takayama had been the first to celebrate the Japanese tea ceremony in Manila – at the Manila Cathedral itself.
The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the ‘Way of Tea,’ is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha (抹茶), powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called chanoyu (茶の湯) or sadō, chadō (茶道), while the manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called (o)temae ([お]手前; [お]点前). As demonstrated by Dr. Genshitsu Sen XV,15th Grand Master of the Urasenke Tea School at the Manila Cathedral, the elaborate and refined Japanese tea ceremony is meant to demonstrate respect through grace and good etiquette.
Since the 16th Century, the Japanese tradition of tea ceremony has aimed at attaining serenity through the sharing of a bowl of tea. Dr. Genshitsu Sen XV travels all over the world to promote his idea of achieving “Peace on Earth — Through a Bowl of Tea.” As he did at the Manila Cathedral, he conducted a formal tea offering service at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church in New York, in a prayer for World Peace. The church was filled with attendees, who joined with Dr. Sen in this solemn service praying for “Peace on Earth — Through a Bowl of Tea.”
He has participated in numerous other events focused on fostering peace, for instance in the United Nations (the Millennium Assembly in 2000, and the General Assembly in 2010) and in Pearl Harbor (Hawaii).
‘Corroborative Blog’?
I CHANCED upon a “corroborative” blog, “Adnilem’s Journey” <www.adnilemel.blogspot.com> by a Filipina resident of Japan. After two decades in Japan, she had finally decided to enroll in a class on the tea ceremony in 2009. The class was conducted by Prof. Shizuo Mochizuki of Urasenke International Association.
“At long last… after my 20 years stay here in Japan… I had the chance to attend the Japanese culture of CHADOU or known as tea ceremony class… The class is sponsored by Shizuoka City Association for Multicultural Exchange. Our class is lucky to have a good and humorous instructor, Prof. Shizuo Mochizuki of Urasenke International Association. In the course of the lecture on “Chadou,” Prof. Mochizuki discussed its history, philosophy and manners. He taught us that the “Chadou” (literally, “Way of Tea”) translation of tea ceremony is not proper. It should be “tea gathering.” Tea ceremony refers to the Buddist priests or monks who formally offer tea to the temple or shrine’s Buddha. Tea gathering is to enjoy the spirit of tea in a warm and relaxed atmosphere.
“Learning that I came from the Philippines, Prof. Shizuo Mochizuki told the class that he had been to Philippines with his tea associates and his memorable experience was at the Manila Cathedral where they were shown an antique feather brush used as one of the tools in tea preparation. It was presented to the church [Manila Cathedral] by a well-known Japanese Catholic tea master — Minami-no-Bô TAKAYAMAHida no-kami, better known as Takayama Ukon — who was exiled to Philippines in the old era.”
That anecdote would mean Lord Takayama Ukon – who was known in tea circles as Minami-no-Bô TAKAYAMAHida no-kami — had performed the tea ceremony for a select group during his 44-day sojourn in Manila. At the Manila Cathedral (III) itself.
A Sen-no-Rikyū Souvenir?
What sort of ‘antique feather brush’ was the Sen no Rikyū sovenir?
The ‘antique feather brush used as one of the tools in tea preparation’ belonging to Ukon Takayama is well-remembered in Japanese tea-circles. It had been given to Ukon as a gift from Sen no Rikyū.
Lord Takayama was credited with refining the tea ceremony into a serene celebration, with ritual movements “almost like a Mass.”
Could it be true? The Manila Cathedral of 1614 was the THIRD edifice on the site. The Manila Cathedral in post-war Manila is Cathedral No. 8. Could the tea implement have survived the transition from Manila Cathedral #3 (in 1614) to Cathedral #8 (during Cardinal Sin’s stewardship in 1974-2003)?#
The ‘fumi-e’ test was a periodic ritual — to find out who, in a village, was a Christian.
►To ferret out “Hidden Christians” and their sympathizers, the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1868) instituted the annual ‘fumi-e’ test in 1629.
As part of its aggressive campaign to find these hidden Kirishitans – and stamp out the Christian religion, the Tokugawa government required:
◘ All citizens to be registered as members of their local Buddhist temple.
◘ They instituted the ‘fumi-e’ system — public rituals on a regular basis where everyone was ordered to trample on ‘fumi-e’ which were Christian images usually made of bronze depicting Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary. This system, introduced in Nagasaki in 1629, continued until February 12, 1858.
Death for Refusal to Stomp on Christian Image
Anyone who refused to step on the ‘fumi-e’ (踏み絵 fumi “stepping-on” + e “picture”) was put to death. Catholics who refused to change their religion were tortured. As many of them still refused to abandon the religion, they were killed by the government. Many executions took place at Nagasaki’s Mount Unzen, where some were boiled in the hot springs. Many Kirishitans went bravely to their deaths this way – as, with no missionaries to forgive them of their sin – they preferred martyrdom over the sin of abandoning their faith.
Not all who trampled on the holy or venerated images were apostates. Some philosophized as they grappled with the test of faith. For instance, one ran home to wash the offending foot, boil the water, and drink it – to expiate the offense.
However, some Kirishitans complied and trampled the images while secretly holding onto the faith they had publicly renounced. The rite of contrition took on a new prominence among secret Kirishitans as a way of dealing with the guilt.
Ruthless Campaign Forces Christianity to be Practiced Underground – Even Without Priests
The persecution of Kirishitans was ruthless. Informers were rewarded, and whenever Kirishitans were discovered, even their neighbors were put to death. This forced the Kirishitan believers to go underground.
The use of the ‘fumi-e’ test was officially abandoned when ports opened to foreigners on April 13, 1856, but some remained in use until Christian teaching was placed under formal protection during the Meiji Period.
In modern Japanese literature, treading on the ‘fumi-e’ is a pivotal plot element of the novel ‘Silence‘ by Shusaku Endo.
Many theologians have tried to contemplate the role of the ‘fumi-e’ to Japanese Christians, some seeing the treading of the ‘fumi-e’ as a sign of the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
Grim Toll for Japan’s Martyr Church
How many martyrs lost their lives because of the ‘fumi-e’ test? Nobody really knows. But the estimates reach as many as 30,000 martyrs.
‘Fumi-e’ were usually carved out of stone, but others were painted and some were wooden block prints. Many, if not all, of these works were made with care, and they reflected the high artistic standards of the Edo period.
There are very few existing ‘fumi-e,’ as most were simply thrown away or recycled into other uses. Some surviving examples were displayed by the Smithsonian Institution, in Washington DC, in their 2007 exhibition “Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World in the 16th and 17th Centuries.”
A Genuine ‘Fumi-e’ Is In Manila — At U.S.T.
A copy of the ‘fumi-e’ was presented to Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro, Takayama Trustee, by the renowned Kyoto Catholic layman, Ryohei Fujimoto. This, in turn, has been presented to Rev. Fr. Rolando dela Rosa, OP, then Rector Magnificus of the University of Santo Tomas (UST). Father dela Rosa has kept the framed ‘fumi-e’ at his office at the UST Ecclesiastical Faculty.#
This granite statue in Toyono-cho is the first known representation of Mrs. Justa Takayama
►In 2016, townmates built granite statues to honor Lord Ukon Takayama and Lady Justa ‘Shino’ Takayama in Toyono-cho (Osaka), birthplace of Ukon Takayama (1552-1615). This is the first representation seen of Mrs. Takayama.
Lord Justo Ukon Takayama and Lady Justa ‘Shino’ Takayama are revered in Toyono-cho, Osaka
After the death of Ukon in Manila (Feb. 3, 1615), Doña Justa returned to Kanazawa (with daughter Lucia Yokoyama and one grandson) in mid-1616 to bury a finger of Takayama in the home country. She used the alias Mrs. [Justa] Rokuzayemon during her voyage to Japan. She later settled in Oita City – a 7-hour train ride away (in 2018) from Kanazawa.
The white Cross marking the spot where Takayama’s finger bone was buried can be seen between the trees. Rev. Minoru Yamagata tells Dr. E. de Pedro that the first-born son of the Takayama family in Kanazawa is assigned to tend to the Cross.
The Cross that marked the spot where Takayama’s finger was buried still exists in a forested area outside Kanazawa – undisturbed during 250 years of virulent anti-Christian persecution. Rev. Minoru Yamagata, pastor of the “Jun-ai Christ Church” of Kanazawa City, brought Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro, Takayama Trustee, to the site in the course of a journey through Japan tracing all the places associated with Lord Takayama.#
The granite statues of Lord and Lady Takayama form the backdrop for cultural presentations made by Toyono-cho residents.
Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro
Managing Trustee
Blessed Takayama Canonization Movement
His Eminence, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, was the Main Celebrant
Photos by Erwin M. de Pedro (Takayama Trustee) and (mostly by) Maricar Santos (Archdiocese of Manila – Office of Communications)
►In his homily, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle set the tone of the Eucharistic Concelebration: “Through Blessed Ukon Takayama [‘martyred’ in Manila, Feb. 3, 1615], through St. Lorenzo Ruiz [martyred in Nagasaki, Sept. 29, 1637] — Japan and the Philippines will always be one. Let us give witness to the world of the power of love that comes from the heart of Jesus. Let us now pause and continue thanking God for the gift of Jesus, the gift of mission and the gift of the great martyrs like Blessed Ukon Takayama.”
* * * * *
The Celebration of the First Blessed Takayama Feastday Took Two Days to Unfold
FIRST CONCELEBRATION — at Paco Parish Church
◘ 4:30 PM, Friday, Feb. 2, 2018 – Directly to Paco Parish Church where Lord Takayama’s converts among Japanese non-Christian expatriates were baptized — the 60-man Takayama Pilgrim Group, led by six Japanese Bishops came — straight from the Manila Airport — to concelebrate a Thanksgiving Mass.
Paco Parish Church (where parishioners number some 92,000) is the first church in the Philippines that enshrined an altar statue of Blessed Takayama on Dec. 21, 2017 — 403th anniversary of the 1614 arrival of ‘Lord Takayama and 350 Japanese Christian Exiles.’
The lead celebrant was Nagasaki Archbishop Joseph Mitsuaki Takami. Concelebrating were: ♦ Tokyo Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, SVD, ♦ Kyoto Bishop Paul Yoshinao Otsuka (Chair of the CBCJ Commission for the Promotion of Saints), ♦ Sapporo Bishop Bernard Taiji Katsuya, ♦ Kagoshima Bishop Paul Kenjiro Koriyama, and ♦ Naha Bishop Berard Toshio Oshikawa, OFM.
Also concelebrating were ♦ Rev. Msgr. Rolando dela Cruz, Paco parish priest; ♦ Fr. Carlo del Rosario, parochial vicar, and two Manila-based Japanese priests: ♦ Fr. Iwao Ikegami, FMVD, and ♦ Fr. Johya Kijima.
The Paco Parish Church was the first stop for the Takayama Pilgrim Group. It was in Paco/Dilao where Takayama continued his evangelization efforts — among non-Christian Japanese expatriates. It was in Paco Church where the first Takayama Altar Statue was enshrined on Dec. 21, 2017.
RECALLING that Lord Takayama and thousands of Japanese Christians were refugees in the Philippines, one Tokyo-based Filipina pilgrim, Puchie Gan, a member of the ‘Gathering of Filipino Groups and Communities’ (GFGC), writes: “Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon whose faith was unwavering and who lived a life of holiness until his death” … serves as the inspiration to Filipino migrants in Japan.
SECOND CONCELEBRATION — at Manila Cathedral
The Manila Cathedral was the center for the Concelebration of Blessed Takayama’s first feastday on Feb. 3, 2018.
◘ 11:00 AM, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018 — Manila Cathedral Celebrates the First Feastday of Blessed Takayama (1552-1615) – a true ‘Son of Manila.’ In Church rubric, ‘where one dies, is where one is born to Heaven.’ That’s why the Manila Archdiocese proposed Takayama as the first saint of his adopted country, the Philippines in 1630.
THIRD CONCELEBRATION — at U.S.T. Chapel
UST Chapel was the third Manila church to host a Memorial Mass for Blessed Takayama on his first feastday. UST has been the de facto center for the promotion of the Cause for Canonization of the ‘Kirishitan Samurai’ Ukon Takayama since 1988.
◘ 5:15 PM, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018 — As it has since 1988, the UST Chapel (Santísimo Rosario Church) was the venue of a Thanksgiving Mass for Blessed Takayama – with Kyoto Bishop Bishop Paul Yoshinao Otsuka, Chair of the CBCJ Commission for the Promotion of Saints, as Main Celebrant. Concelebrating with him were four Dominican priests – (l-r) ♦ Fr. Jose Antonio E. Aureada, OP ♦ Fr. Pablo T. Tiong, OP ♦ Fr. Louie B. Coronel, OP and ♦ Fr. Arturo P. Pestin, OP.
Fr. Pablo T. Tiong, OP, UST Vice Rector for Religious Affairs, delivered the homily.
* * * * *
Manila Cathedral-Basilica (VIII) is celebrating its 60th Jubilee on December 8, 2018
Main Eucharistic Concelebration at the Manila Cathedral
The main celebration at the Manila Cathedral involved prelates from the Philippines, Japan and the Vatican.
Cardinal Tagle — before the image of Blessed Justo Takayama
◘ His Eminence, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle – Manila Archbishop since Dec. 12, 2011 — was the main celebrant.
Cardinal Tagle — at the Consecration
◘ Three Archbishops concelebrated the Eucharistic Mass — ♦ Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia ♦ Nagasaki Archbishop Joseph Mitsuaki Takami, and ♦ Tokyo Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, SVD.
All the concelebrants — at the High Altar
◘ Four Japanese Bishops also concelebrated: ♦ Kyoto Bishop Paul Yoshinao Otsuka (Chair of the CBCJ Commission for the Promotion of Saints), ♦ Sapporo Bishop Bernard Taiji Katsuya, ♦ Kagoshima Bishop Paul Kenjiro Koriyama, and ♦ Naha Bishop Emeritus Berard Toshio Oshikawa, OFM.
◘ Twenty-five (25) priests – among them: ♦ Msgr. Rolando dela Cruz; ♦ Fr. Carlo del Rosario; ♦ Fr. Dandy Parafina; ♦ Fr. Marlito G. Ocon, SJ; ♦ Fr. Martin Licup, SJ, and four priests with the Takayama Pilgrims’ Group from Japan: ♦ Fr. Benerando Raul Gumanit, MSP ♦ Fr. Joya Kijima ♦ Fr. Ryohei Miyashita and ♦ Fr. Jose Norella III, MSP. (For the record, the names of 16 other priests will be listed too.)
Music was furnished by the Manila Cathedral Ministry of Music.
The ‘Beatification Logo’ was emblazoned on the vestments used at the first Blessed Justo Takayama Feastday.
Logo of Blessed Takayama
The Mass vestments (see photos above and below) bore the logo used at the Blessed Takayama Beatification Rites. The logo was designed by Sr. M. Esther Kitazume, of the Sisters of Disciples of the Divine Master.
The emblem on the Mass vestments is based on the Takayama family crest of seven circles.
The emblem reproduces seven round circles of the Takayama family, with the Cross and three rings in the background. Each circle represents members of Ukon’s family and also the seven sacraments and seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Cross is a sign of Ukon’s offer of his life for faith.
Concelebrated Mass, Including Cardinal Tagle’s Homily, Livestreamed on Facebook
MANILA ARCHBISHOP Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle enjoined the Filipino faithful and Japanese pilgrims: “Be martyrs … by giving yourself to others and finding meaning in suffering.”
Cardinal Tagle urged the faithful to emulate Blessed Justo Ukon Takayama, a Japanese Christian who was persecuted for his faith and died in exile in Manila.
Some of the 60-man Japanese Pilgrims’ Group who flew in to celebrate the first Feastdsy of Blessed Justo Ukon Takayama.
BUT IN THESE MODERN TIMES, Cardinal Tagle pointed out that one “does not have to wait for martyrdom” and that Catholics “are invited to be martyrs every day.”
“Every day, we are asked by Jesus to be with Him, to be witnesses to His love. So give yourself to others and be united with them in their suffering,” Tagle said.
In his homily, Tagle cited Blessed Takayama’s life, especially his choice to remain true to his faith even if he had a chance to save himself by simply renouncing it.
“He knew the dangers, he was given a chance to turn away from Jesus and his faith. But he remained faithful to Jesus. Others said he was crazy for not saving his life,” the prelate said.
But in today’s times, Blessed Takayama’s “foolishness” is now a source of wisdom and strength for Catholics, Tagle said.
The prelate added that the Christian understanding of suffering is to give life to others in an ultimate act of love.
“It is not looking for suffering because we enjoy it. It is love, it is mission, it is a gift of self that gives someone like Jesus the strength to suffer and die. With love, you can suffer meaningfully and in a manner that gives life to others,” Tagle said.
Tagle added: “Have no fear, love and when you love you will have the strength to suffer. People who love but are afraid of suffering do not know how to love.”
‘Kirishitan Samurai’
As a samurai general, Lord Takayama served under the hegemons, Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but was already in domestic exile (in Kanazawa) when Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa Shogunate (1600-1868).
BLESSED JUSTO TAKAYAMA was a Japanese samurai and ‘Daimyo’ (feudal lord) who lived during the Sengoku period (戦国時代 Sengoku Jidai, “Age of Warring States”; c1467–c1603) in Japan, and was baptized as a Catholic with the name, Justo, when he was only 12.
In 1587, Christians were ordered expelled from Japan and all Christian feudal lords asked to renounce their faith.
There was no ‘direct confrontation’ between Hideyoshi and Ukon — as depicted in this famous woodblock print. Hideyoshi sent an emissary — the Grand Teamaster Sen no Rikyu — to demand that Ukon abjure his allegiance to ‘that evil religion’.
REFUSING TO GIVE UP his faith, Blessed Takayama was expelled from his feudal domain of Akashi in 1587 – and became a ronin, a masterless samurai. In the first year, he was protected by well-placed Christian allies.
He and his family – wife Justa Takayama, married daughter Lucia Yokoyama, and five grandsons – were eventually forced to leave their homeland. Given a choice between Manila and Macau, he chose Manila because his Spanish Jesuit father-confessor, Fr. Pedro Morejon, SJ, was Manila-bound. The overloaded Chinese junk, which normally sailed the route from Nagasaki to Manila in 20 days, took 43 days to reach Manila, as it was buffeted by a severe typhoon that snapped its main mast into two, off the coast of Bataan.
Arriving in Manila in Sunday, Dec. 21, 1614, ‘Lord Takayama and 350 Japanese Christian exiles’ were warmly welcomed by Spanish Jesuits and Filipino Christians. The cannons of Fort Santiago boomed and church bells in Intramuros’ six Churches rang in welcome.
However, 40 days after his arrival (on Jan. 30), he fell ill “of a tropical illness,” and – like St. Francis Xavier who died several days after falling ill on Shangchuan Island, off the southern coast of Guangdong, China on Dec. 3, 1552 (the year Ukon was born) – Ukon died on Feb. 3, 1615. His sojourn in Manila lasted only 44 days – as the cunning Tokugawa Ieyasu had hoped for.
Pope Francis’ Decree of Martyrdom (2016)
When Pope Francis’ Decree of Martyrdom was issued on Jan. 21, 2016, Fr. Anton Witwer, SJ, Jesuit General Postulator, explained: “Since Takayama died in exile because of the weaknesses caused by the maltreatment he suffered in his homeland, the process … is that of a martyr.”
In his decree, Pope Francis recognized Justo Ukon Takayama as a “loyal Japanese layman, who was martyred in Manila in 1615.” The Holy Father said: “Rather than compromise, Ukon renounced honors and prosperity and accepted humiliation and exile. He remained faithful to Christ and to the Gospel; for this, he is a wonderful example of strength in the faith and dedication in charity.”
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A Welcome Entreaty for an Altar Statue of Blessed Justo Ukon Takayama for Laoag
►During the Takayama Thanksgiving Mass, the Bishop of Laoag, Msgr. Renato Mayugba entreated the Japanese Bishops to make Laoag Diocese the first outside Manila to enshrine a Takayama altar statue — at St. William Cathedral (est. 1580; current church built in 1612).
St. William’s Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Laoag (Ilocos Norte).
THE DIOCESE OF LAOAG has 22 parishes – and a ‘Japanese connection.’
In 1620, fisherfolk found two crates floating in the sea off the shores of Badoc town, Ilocos Norte — presumably off-floated from a Japanese church desperate to save them from destruction by the Tokugawa Shogunate.
One crate contained the statue of the ‘Black Cristo Milagroso’ — (as ebony as the ‘Black Nazarene’ at Quiapo) — now enshrined in Badoc’s adjoining town, Sinait, Ilocos Sur.
The other crate contained the statue of the Blessed Virgin — “with Japanese features” — cradling the Infant Jesus in her arms. The Marian statue is revered today as ‘La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc.’ Devotees call her “Mary, Cause of Our Joy — Patroness of Ilocos Norte.”
The canonical coronation of “La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc” is on May 31, 2018.
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At the Sidelines of the Takayama Feastday
◘ Veneration of Takayama Relic
For the first time since the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (CBCJ) presented the Manila Cathedral with a Takayama Relic – church-goers were invited to venerate it.
The Takayama Relic is a piece of Ukon’s vest (‘chaleco’) encased in a monstrance-shaped gold reliquary.Church-goers formed a line to venerate the relic.Japanese Bishops led the queue that venerated the Takayama RelicMrs. Aida M. de Pedro represented the ‘Prayer Warriors of Blessed Takayama’
◘ ‘Estampitas’ or Prayer Cards
Prayer cards in Tagalog were distributed by both the CBCJ and the Manila-based Blessed Justo Takayama Canonization Movement.
‘Estampitas’ (prayer cards) — in Tagalog — were distributed by both CBCJ and the Manila-based Blessed Takayama Canonizstion Movement
The CBCJ prayer cards enjoined – in Tagalog – all Takayama devotees to report any purported “miracle through the intercession of Blessed Takayama” – to the Bishop of the Diocese where the miracle happened. For better coordination – whatever country it is from – also inform <blessedtakayama@gmail.com> and <ernestodepedro@gmail.com>. The concerned ecclesiastical authorities will be alerted.
◘ Some Desperate Cases, Imploring Blessed Takayama’s Intercession, Attended the Takayama Mass
Some severe medical cases imploring Blessed Takayama’s intercession attended the Mass. For months they had been praying on the basis of ‘estampitas’ or prayer cards. Now, the Takayama Movement presented those on its waiting list — with 12” Takayama statuettes to help them focus on their devotion.
This 12″ Blessed Takayama statuette (made of resin-fiberglass) is from a limited production run — to accommodate the visiting Japanese pilgrims. Distribution at normal religious channels will be announced when there is an adequate supply.
◘ First Japanese Pilgrimage (8:30 AM, Feb. 3, 2018) to PLM University Chapel
The 60-man Takayama Pilgrims’ Group began the Feb. 3 Takayama Feastday – with an 8:30 AM visit to the PLM University Chapel – which was arranged by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Intramuros Administration (IA). Fr. Albert Fuyuki Hirabayashi, SJ (in light blue coat), Secretary of the CBCJ Commission for the Promotion of Saints, coordinated the brief visit. (Photo by Robert Queddeng)
The Jesuit Compound (now the PLM Campus), is where Lord Justo Takayama sojourned for 44 days (since arriving on Dec. 21, 1614); died on Feb. 3, 1615 – and was buried near the High Altar of the Jesuits’ Santa Ana Church, in the Jesuits’ expectation that he would soon be raised to the honors of the High Altar.
Invoking the spirit of Blessed Justo Takayama — inside the PLM University Chapel. (Photo by Yuya Cruz, Ars Dream Travel, Manila)
For the first time in 403 years – Japanese pilgrims step on ‘hallowed ground’ as they visit the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) where the University Chapel was inaugurated by Cardinal Jaime Sin on Dec. 17, 1990.#
◘ ‘Sketching Blessed Takayama’ as Prayer
Having no Takayama ‘estampitas’ — in English or Tagalog — to focus on, a Filipino cancer patient in Tokyo drew his own imaginings of what Takayama looked like.
Noel Velez made his own sketches of Blessed Justo Takayama, as he prayed for Ukon’s intercession during his illness.
The ‘Paintings/Sketches of Blessed Takayama’ by the Filipino artist +Noel Velez (1951-Jan. 14, 2018) as he lay dying in a Tokyo hospital – and died only 20 days before the Takayama Feastday in Manila — was published in a slim booklet by his widow Puchie Gan – and presented to Cardinal Tagle before the Takayama Thanksgiving Mass on Feb. 3, 2018.
Cardinal Tagle is presented with slim book of Velez’s sketches of Blessed Takayama by Velez’s widow, Puchie Gan
A graduate in Bachelor of Philosophy from the Our Lady of the Angels Seminary, Noel moved to Tokyo in 1990 to join his wife, Puchie Gan. He worked as Staff Designer for Sesame Street/Japan and served as Musician and Pastoral volunteer in the Archdiocese of Tokyo. The passion for the art was heightened during the battle with cancer of the lungs. Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon whose faith was unwavering and who lived a life of holiness until his death served as the inspiration for all the artwork in this book.
Ukon Takayama as a Samurai — as sketched by Noel Velez
Noel died on Jan. 14, 2018 at Juntendo University Hospital in Nerima-takanodai, Tokyo. Fr. Russell Becker, OFM, pastor of Franciscan Chapel Center in Roppongi, Tokyo — where the Velezes serve as Music Ministers — administered the Last Rites.
Noel’s widow, Puchie Gan, attended the Takayama Thanksgiving Mass. with a Filipino-Japanese delegation from the ‘Gathering of Filipino Groups and Communities’ (GFGC) from Tokyo.#
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MEMENTO PHOTOGRAPH of the seven prelates who concelebrated the Thanksgiving Mass at the first Feastday of Blessed Justo Takayama. — representing the Philippines, Japan and the Vatican.
Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro
Managing Trustee
Blessed Justo Takayama Canonization Movement
Cardinal Tagle extolling the heroic virtues of Blessed Takayama at Thanksgiving Mass celebrating his first Feastday. (Photo by Erwin M. de Pedro, Trustee, Blessed Justo Takayama Canonization Movement)
►The Thanksgiving Mass to mark Blessed Takayama’s first Feastday was concelebrated at the Manila Cathedral Basilica, where Ukon Takayama and his exiled family had worshipped in 1614-1615. Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle was the lead celebrant – with three Archbishops, four Japanese Bishops and 25 Priests concelebrating.
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MY DEAR BROTHERS and sisters in Christ, we give thanks and praise to God for this day. We thank God for giving us the opportunity to be one community so that we could be renewed by his word, by his presence, by his spirit and also, by the gift of holy men and women to the church and to society.
Today, we give thanks to God for the gift of Blessed Ukon Justo Takayama and we welcome all of you. We welcome especially our dear bishops from Japan and all the pilgrims from Japan. Welcome, welcome. Welcome to the Manila Cathedral, the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. We hope you will enjoy your stay in the Philippines. We hope also you will experience a renewal in discipleship in following Christ as we remember Blessed Ukon.
And to the Filipinos, we hope that we will receive Blessed Ukon Takayama who died as a martyr here in Manila. From Japan he blessed our soil, our land testimony of faith and of heroism. I’m sorry I cannot speak in Japanese, I cannot translate my homily into Japanese. But those of you who understand English maybe you can tell your friends later what I reflected upon.
Some people wonder whether Christians glorify suffering. The say how come you worship Jesus on the cross and you venerate the memory of martyrs those who have suffered? Are we making suffering some sort of a fashionable or glamorous thing? Is it an excuse for all the pain that the world experiences? I think the readings for the feast of Blessed Ukon gives us the Christian understanding. It is not in order to encourage inflicting suffering and pain on other people.
But we look to Jesus how did he look at suffering. And we see in the Gospel that Jesus has an integrated suffering within his mission. It is not accepting suffering in itself but in the context of mission, he finds meaning in suffering. His mission is to fulfill the will of the Father that humanity maybe saved. Jesus glorifies the Father by fulfilling his mission.
And if suffering is involved in fulfilling his mission He says yes. He is saying yes to the mission and if suffering is included in the mission, He will accept it too as He accepts His mission. And so it becomes a moment to glorify God. It is also a moment for him to be the seed of grain that falls to the earth and dies. It is a suffering with other people, by his suffering He becomes one with the earth, one with human beings, one with suffering creation.
His suffering is an act of solidarity. So, it is not just enjoying suffering. It is a suffering that has a meaning. It is a suffering for a mission. It is a suffering for the others. And so, it is not just a suffering it is giving of my life so that others may live. The world sees suffering but Jesus sees a gift of life. That’s a totally different perspective that’s why in the Eucharist we remember that; this is my body for you. This is my blood for you. May I know who among you here are parents with children?
Well you have a mission to be a good parent and part of the mission is a lot of suffering. You work hard not for yourself but for them. You get sick but still go to work. And you embrace that suffering because of your mission for them. Even if they are already grown up you are worried about them. You suffered daily because of your concerned for them. But it is because of your mission and because of your communion, solidarity with them. It is not useless. It is a gift of life for them, for others. So, it is not looking for suffering because we enjoy suffering. No, it is love. It is mission. It is gift of self that gives someone like Jesus the strength to suffer and die. With love you can suffer meaningfully and in the manner that gives life to others.
That’s why St. Paul in the first reading reminds us, when you suffer for God, when you suffer for others, when you suffer because of a mission, when you suffer because you’re giving yourselves out of love then, you are united with God. Some people when they suffer, they ask where is God? Has God abandoned me? But St. Paul says, nothing can separate us from the love of God. Jesus in the Gospel says, “Where I am I want you to be there too.” Jesus is loving us unto death and He wants us to be united with him. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ who first love us and who loved us with all the sufferings that love can endure. So, why will we fear?
Have no fear. Love. And when you love you will have the strength to suffer People who love but are afraid of suffering do not know how to love. It is love for God, for others that gives someone the strength even to die. We are celebrating the love of Christ manifested to us in and through Blessed Ukon Justo Takayama. He knew the dangers. He was given a chance to turn away from Jesus and his faith. But he said no. I will keep my faith. I will remain faithful to Jesus. The world will say, Ukon, are you crazy? Why not save your life? Yes, he might be crazy. Crazy, because of love. He became foolish because he loved. And he paid the price of his love. But now his foolishness is wisdom for us. His weakness is strength for us. He’s telling all of us. Have no fear love. Love, love. And when you love, you know nothing can separate you from the strength that comes from Christ.
With Cardinal Tagle as lead celebrant, the Eucharistic Mass was concelebrated by three archbishops — ♦ Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia ♦ Nagasaki Archbishop Joseph Mitsuaki Takami, and ♦ Tokyo Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, SVD; four Japanese Bishops: ♦ Kyoto Bishop Paul Yoshinao Otsuka (Chair of the CBCJ Commission for the Promotion of Saints), ♦ Sapporo Bishop Bernard Taiji Katsuya, ♦ Kagoshima Bishop Paul Kenjiro Koriyama, and ♦ Naha Bishop Emeritus Berard Toshio Oshikawa, OFM — and 25 priests, six of them from Japan.#
We are invited to be martyrs, witnesses every day. We don’t need to wait for martyrdom by blood. Every day, in our state of life we are asked by Jesus, “be with me witness to my love”. Give yourself to your mission, for others. Be united with sufferings. Nothing should separate you from the love of Christ. When we were singing the “Gloria,” you hear a lot of bells and bells. That’s okay, because according to the historical records when Ukon and his family and companions landed here in Manila the bells of the churches were rang including the bells of Manila Cathedral. And the missionaries, the Spanish missionaries, the Jesuits and the Christians here welcomed him. Already at the time they considered him a martyr, a witness to the love that won’t say no even to the point of suffering. So, now we are happy that the church had recognized him and from Japan, Philippines he will give witness to the whole world to the universal church.
So let us rejoice, give thanks to God and let us be one. Through Ukon, through Lorenzo Ruiz — Japan and the Philippines will always be one. Let us give witness to the world of the power of love that comes from the heart of Jesus. Let us now pause and continue thanking God for the gift of Jesus, the gift of mission and the gift of the great martyrs like Blessed Ukon.#
The granite statues of Lord Justo Ukon Takayama (born in Toyono-cho in 1552) and his Lady, Doña Justa (Japanese name: ‘Shino,’ a posthumous title) was built by donation by Toyono-cho inhabitants in 2016, to mark Ukon’s 400th death annniversary. The granite was mined from Takayama Village, in Toyono-cho – By Takaki Ohnishi
►These photographs offer sceneries of Ukon’s birthplace on Feb. 3, 2018 – 403rd death anniversary of Ukon — which the town wishes to share with Takayama devotees in the Philippines.
Tono-cho has, of course, no Catholic Church for a Memorial Mass. As in Takayama’s time, it has been 99.63% Shinto/Buddhist, but the town is very proud of their ‘Kirishitan Samurai’ who has been hailed as ‘the epitome of the Japanese spirit.’
In lieu of a Thanksgiving Mass – ‘as you are having at the Manila Cathedral’ — ‘we had a memorial Ukon musical performed by residents of Toyono on February 3 and 4.’
Toyono-cho on February 3 was ‘covered by some snow.’
These terraced paddies must have looked exactly like these some 400 years ago.
A stone marker claims that Ukon Takayama was born in Takayama Village in Toyono-cho, Osaka Prefecture.
In the far background, Takayama Village may be seen.
Takaki Ohnishi, Manager of the Agriculture, Forestry, Commerce, Industrial and Tourism Division, of the Toyono-cho Government, writes about the February environment in Toyono-cho:
‘Here in Toyono-cho, it gets very cold and snows quite often.
This climate makes vegetables sweet and ambrosial!’
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Indeed! When Toyono-cho residents make a pilgrimage to Manila this April — to visit the places in Old Manila associated with Blessed Takayama — Trustees of Takayama will be waiting to welcome them!#
Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro
Managing Trustee
Blessed Takayama Canonization Movement
First altar-statue of Blessed Takayama was enshrined at Paco Catholic Church (est. 1580) by Msgr. Rolando dela Cruz, Paco Parish Priest, on Dec. 21, 2017,
►The ‘Samurai of Christ,’ Justo Takayama, is the third Beatus (Blessed) of the Philippines, his adopted country. Under the rubrics of the Catholic Church, “where one dies, is where one is born to Heaven.” Thus, Blessed Takayama is a “Son of Manila.” He was proposed for sainthood by the Manila Archdiocese on Oct. 5, 1630 – the first Catholic of heroic virtue to be proposed as saint by Manila – and he was a Japanese layman!
After Takayama’s Cause for Beatification had lain dormant for 333 years at the Vatican, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (CBCJ) offered in 1963 – on the sidelines of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) — to revive the ancient cause and do the spadework. With the Philippine Church not having a native Filipino canonized a Saint yet, Manila Archbishop Rufino Cardinal Santos (1908-1973) – the Philippines’ first Cardinal — seconded the Takayama Cause to the Church of Japan on April 24, 1963.
Cardinal Rufino Santos — the Philippines’ first Cardinal — at the Vatican in 1963
In 12 years, the CBCJ’s Historical Committee produced the necessary supporting historical documents, all 30 chapters, and submitted these to the Jesuit General Postulator — in loose form — in 1975. These lay dormant – unread — for 11 years.
In a fortuitous development – a ‘happy accident’ — Manila had a part in the final preparation of the Takayama ‘Positio’ when a Filipino layman, researching at the Vatican on the Japanese daimyo, Don Justo Ukondono, was asked by the Jesuit General Postulator to undertake the translation of the entire Takayama documents — written in German, Spanish, Portuguese, Latin, and Japanese — into English. When Prof. Ernesto A. de Pedro, of the UST Graduate School, completed this task in 1994, the Jesuit General Postulator, Fr. Paulo Molinari, SJ, acknowledged: “Thanks to your much appreciated collaboration, all the essential materials for this important ‘Cause’ are by now available.”
The 1994 ‘Positio’ on ‘Justus Takayama Ukon, Servus Dei’ (648p) was laser-printed by Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro — and shipped directly to the Jesuit General Postulator.
That first ‘Positio’ proposed beatification for Takayama, as a Confessor (not as a Martyr). For the first time in Japanese church history, a candidate for sainthood was being proposed as a Confessor. (All previous Japanese candidates for sainthood were Martyrs.) Also, Takayama’s ‘Cause’ was also being promoted – for the first time in Japanese church history — on an individual basis, not as part of a group. All the previous 42 Japanese Saints and 383 Blessed were group martyrs.
Cardinal Sin endorsed the Beatification Cause of Don Justo Takayama at a Synod on Family he was attending in Rome
In Rome, attending a Synod on Family, Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin endorsed the Cause of Beatification for the ‘Samurai of Christ,’ Justo Takayama.
The Jesuit General Postulator, Fr. Paulo Molinari, SJ, submitted the bookbound ‘Positio’ — “JustusTakayama Ukon, Servus Dei” (1994, 648p) — to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (CCS). The Takayama ‘Positio’ was granted a “Nihil Obstat” on June 8, 1994, giving Takayama the title “Servant of God” — the first of three formal steps to Sainthood.
After surveying the path forward, the Japanese Bishops decided that a Cause of Martyrdom for the Servant of God, Justo Takayama, was the quicker pathway – not requiring a years-long examination of Takayama’s life and heroic virtues – going back to the day of his baptism at 12, through his many battles as a samurai-general, his record as a pillar of the early Church of Japan, and his death in Manila. They submitted that Takayama’s accumulated trials resulted in his death in Manila just 44 days after his arrival. A death by martyrdom.
Pope Francis issued a Decree of Martyrdom (Jan. 21, 2016) declaring Takayama as a “loyal Japanese layman, who was martyred in Manila in 1615.” The Japanese Bishops quickly shared the development with Manila and acknowledged the help given by the Philippine Church to this four-centuries old campaign to elevate Takayama to the honors of the altar: “With your help, we have realized our hope. We are deeply thankful for your help.”
Bypassing the prescribed second step – Venerable — Takayama was beatified on Feb. 7, 2017 in Osaka (the prefecture where Takayama was baptized) – as the 426th Japanese Martyr venerated in the Roman Catholic Church – and the third Blessed of the Philippine Church.
Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle of Manila was the only other Cardinal invited by the Church of Japan to join Cardinal Angelo Amato, SDB, Prefect of the Congregation of the Causes of Saints, at the Concelebrated Mass at the historic Takayama Beatification Rites.#
The first altar statue of Blessed Takayama, carved by Paete artist Paloy Cagayat, was installed at the Paco Catholic Church on Dec. 21, 2017 by Rev. Msgr. Rolando dela Cruz, Paco parish priest.
►”Błogosławiony Ukon Takayama pojawia się w momencie, gdy Kosciół w Japonii jest dotknięty kryzysem, atakowany, jak na całym świecie, przez globalną cywilizację relatywizmu moralnego i wieloznaczności ról i postaw (…) Banita wraca do kraju, w którym liczba chrześcijan jest znikoma – pisze dla KAI o. Zygmunt Kwiatkowski, jezuita.”
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Outreach Through Takayama Website
A devotee of Blessed Takayama in Poland said he learned about the ‘Samurai of Christ’ through Polish newspapers and the Takayama website – <www.takayamaukon.com> — which is the only Takayama website in English. Aside from audiences in the Philippines, the United States and Japan — there’s some interest too in: ►Singapore; ►Australia; ►Hong Kong; ►Brazil; ►Poland; ►Canada and ►Romania. (These are the Top Ten countries visiting the Takayama website.)
Lord Takayama was a celebrated Christian Daimyo — who placed God above all else, offending his overlords who demanded loyalty over everyone else.
For the first celebration of the Feastday of Blessed Takayama – set in the Church’s liturgical calendar on February 3, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle and the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia will concelebrate Mass at the Manila Cathedral on Saturday, Feb. 3, at 11:00 AM with other Filipino Bishops and clergy. Also on hand are: ►Archbishop Joseph Mitsuaki Takami (Nagasaki), ►Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, SVD (ex-Niigata, now Tokyo), ►Bishop Paul Yoshinao Otsuka (Kyoto), ►Bishop Bernard Taiji Katsuya (Sapporo), ►Bishop Paul Kenjiro Koriyama (Kagoshima), and ►Bishop Berard Toshio Oshikawa, OFM (Naha). (That’s ONE THIRD of Japan’s 18 Bishops.)
While earning acclaim as a valiant samurai-general, Lord Takayama was also a pillar of the early Church of Japan — builder of churches and seminaries across Japan.
In addition to the six Japanese prelates, a 60-man ‘Takayama Pilgrimage Group’ will be flying in from Japan – composed of six priests, Sisters and other ‘Consecrated Persons.’#
By Dr. Ernesto de Pedro
Managing Trustee
Blessed Justo Takayama Canonization Movement
Organized by Signis Philippines, Jesuit Communications Foundation, TV Maria, Catholic Media Network, Pauline Sisters, and Radio Veritas, the panel discussion also featured ♦ Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara, chairman of the CBCP Commission on Social Communications, ♦ John Nery of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and ♦ Howie Severino of GMA Network 7 as reactors. (Photo by Aida M. de Pedro).#
►Signis Philippines has spearheaded a forum open to all Catholic media practitioners to understand and appreciate the challenge of social media. New digital media have allowed everyone who has access the ability to publish their own content and choose what matters to them.
They have considerably changed journalism and the public space where information is derived.
How can church groups use these digital platforms to spread ‘The Word” Or their application in the promotion of Causes for Beatification and Canonization, for instance?
Keynote Address by Cardinal Tagle
The keynote address for the forum on “Catholic Media in Challenging Times” on Jan. 19, 2018, was delivered by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle at the Layforce Auditorium, San Carlos Seminary, Guadalupe in Makati City.
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle gives the keynote talk at a panel discussion on “Catholic Media in Challenging Times” at the Layforce Auditorium, San Carlos Seminary, Guadalupe, Makati City, Jan. 19, 2018.#
He recalled the prescient observations on mass communications media that were included in the records of Vatican Council II (convened as a means of spiritual renewal for the Catholic Church, 1962-1965), written in 1963 before the emergence of many of today’s digital media, evaluating the challenges, opportunities and pitfalls of new information technologies. While he praised social media and its great potential for evangelization, Cardinal Tagle observed that modern man’s immersion in the digital world could be leading him back to silence and reflection.
Tagle also conceded that while social media opens up opportunities for “solidarity, growing in unity” as well as the “deepening of faith through prayer and through formation,” constant digital exposure has a downside. “…There are also some threats. Being hooked constantly is the contemporary version of ‘noise.’ You don’t hear any noise, but you are constantly being bugged… It is the new form of noise, the lack of silence,” he explained partly in Filipino.
The prelate related how a priest revealed that whereas previously, the first thing he did in the morning was to pray, now it is to check his cellphone for messages.
Warnings from 1963
The Manila Cardinal pointed out how as early as 1963, the Second Vatican Council was already calling on the faithful, particularly parents, “to help the youth learn moderation and self-control in the use of the means of social communications.”
“Now they’re talking about addiction to the gadgets and it is a form of addiction…,” said Tagle.
But as algorithms that can’t tell fact from fake news took over the critical editorial role of deciding what people see in the new public conversation spaces, they fostered the rise of a disinformation ecosystem that distributed falsehood: from the simply misleading (due to the rush to print or post) to outright fabrication.
The forum laid bare the nature of disinformation and misinformation online. It also urged constant vigilance in an age of selfies, bots, fake accounts, and trolls. It sought to promote a better understanding of how social media and other digital platforms work – which even Filipino Bishops two generations older than millennials, had to learn from scratch, with the help of such mentors as the tech-savvy Pauline Sisters (Daughters of St. Paul).# — Based in part on CBCPNews
Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon 