Recent Fascination With Eastern Asia

 Recently I've been quite interested in Asia, more specifically, Eastern Asia; Mongolia, Japan, China, etc.

And, of course, as someone who has Catholicism at the forefront of my conscience, I've been keen aswell on East Asian Catholicism. Not that I didn't already have a fascination, for instance, for Japanese Catholicism, which I did.

I happen to live close to a Parish (the one that I go to) which is run by Augustinian Recollects. The friars come from Spain. The Parish is of course dedicated to St. Augustine, with another one dedicated to St Rita of Cassia already under construction;

At the inner chapel of our Church, there are stained glass windows showing some of the saints of the order, which  includes the Augustinian Martyrs of Japan, among which, one to whom I have a special devotion - St. Magdalene of Nagasaki.

In fact, since I live in Brazil, I did already meet Nippo-Brazilians (Brazilians of Japanese ancestry), the majority of whom are Catholic here. Not only in my school I had some classmates of Japanese origin, but also here at the Parish (which is aswell linked to this school where I studied) I sometimes see some.

Plus, I've had for years a huge fascination for Mongolic, Tuvinian, Altaic folk songs, which of course encompasses Throat Singing, that I've come to greatly appreciate.

Also Japanese History, specially the Sengoku period, and history on the Mongolian Empire has aswell caught my attention years before my conversion (I only converted to Catholicism at 20, some 4 or 5 years ago). I even used to be HUGELY focused, on a period, on the person of Oda Nobunaga, who I greatly admired and even had as an inspiration.

I no longer do, though, for, since I converted, I've come to abhorr murderers, tyrants, power-hungry leaders etc. Though I still appreciate some of his traits and feats, which includes the fact that out of the three "Unifiers" of Japan - Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu - he's the one that actually tolerated Catholics.

This experience was influenced by my playing of games such as Civilization V (in which Oda Nobunaga represents Japan, and also where the Mongolian Theme Song - called if I'm not mistaken simply Urtiin Duu, - which means Long Song - represented of course by Genghis Khan, I loved listening to), and Shogun II Total War - which is the one that actually made me informed on the Sengoku period.

I myself am partially descendant of Native Americans, which means that I kind of do have some Mongoloid\Siberian genes myself, most likely. Mixed with heavy European, specially Latin (Spanish, Portuguese, Italian), but also possibly West Germanic, input. At least that's what I was able to collect from family relatives.

Japan has somewhat between 400 or 500 thousand Catholics, up to a Million, half or more than half of whom are immigrants - mostly Japanese-Brazilians, Japanese-Peruvians, Filipinos, Vietnamese. Some of the regions that concentrate the most of a Catholic presence are, unsurprisingly, whithin Nagasaki Prefecture, where they reach something like 5%, and, notably, Goto Islands, which was used by Kakure Kirishitan (Hidden Cristians, Catholics who went underground to survive persecution) as a refuge, amounting to something like 10 or 25%. At least that's what I read. Overall the percentage of Catholics in Japan as a whole seems to be around the sadly low 0,5%.

Mongolia has by now at least some 1,4 thousand Catholics, which, out of a population of 3,2 Million, means less than 0,1%. But it seems to be growing in popularity, specially as it is associated with charitable services - something I've noticed also happens in so many other places, where usually charity, healthcare and education tend to project the Catholic presence, even where it is a minority religion.

China's numbers, being under a Communist Dictatorship, are not necessarily reliable. Specially since only part of them are recognized by the Government - those that are linked to the so-called "Catholic Patriotic Association", which seems to be an attempt of the Chinese Regime on controlling the Catholic Church, assuring its' fidelity ultimately towards the Party instead of the Pope, naming of the Bishops being done by the Government instead of Church.

But, it is estimated, for instance, by a Hong Kong group, that they may reach something like 12 or 13 million people. In terms of percentage, I've already read figures ranging from 0,7% to 1% of China. Though I personally believe this number may be bigger than 20 million. Not to forget the many Chinese in Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, among whom we do find Catholics aswell.

South Korea is a great relief for us, for it boasts an amazing percentage of 11% Catholics, or 5,8 million. Perhaps the fourth in Asia (after East-Timor - around 90%, Phillippines - 80%, and Lebanon - 29%).

 

Catholic Mass in Japan, 1600

 

Catholic Church at Cizhong, Tibetan-speaking Catholic majority (80%) village in northern Yunnan

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Some Saints we can pray to:

St. Magdalene of Nagasaki (Japanese maiden Martyr)

St Francis Xavier (the great Basque missionary, who evangelized in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, and died at the shores of China)

St Augustine Zhao Rong (Chinese Martyr)

St Paul Miki (Japanese Martyr)

St Andrew Kim Taegon (Korean Martyr and Priest)

Our Lady of China (Empress of China, apparitions of the Virgin during for instance the Boxer Rebellion, which martyred a lot of Christians in China, and in one such instance the Virgin appeared against an enraged crowd of Boxer murderers and put them to flee, sparing the Catholic population that they were to massacre)

Our Lady of Akita (apparitions in Northern Japan to Catholic nun Sister Sasagawa, around 1973, in which the Virgin warns against apostasy and heresy, and calls us to repentance; The Statue of the Virgin famously cried and also bled from her hand. The Sister, who was clinically deaf, regained audition, and other people, including a Korean woman, were also cured by the intercession of Our Lady of Akita)

Blessed Justo Takayama (Catholic Japanese Daymio and Samurai, was disposessed and exiled to the Philippines for refusing to abandon the Faith)

St Paul Chong Hasang (Korean Martyr)

St Andrew Dung Lac (Vietnamese martyr)

Saint Jean Gabriel Perboyre (French missionary, martyred in China. Was beloved among the common Chinese folk, adapting to customs and preaching from village to village. Strangled to death)

Saint Lorenzo Ruiz (Philippino layman, martyred in Japan)

Martyrs of Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, pray for us

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Martyrs under Tokugawa

Our Lady of China

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(Old Prayers, adapted)

Lord Jesus Christ, only Saviour of whole human race, who "shall rule from sea to sea, and from the
river unto the ends of the earth", favorably open Thy most Sacred Heart even to the most poor inhabitants of Chinese and Mongolian Empire, so that through the intercession of most affectionate Virgin Mary, Thy immaculate mother, and of Saint Francis Xavier, they would be added to Thy holy Church. That the Empire of the Middle may open its' heart to the Emperor of All, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

O Mary, bright star of the morning, who, coming forth, didst first herald to the Nations the speedy rising of the Sun of justice and truth, vouchsafe to shed thy rays benignly on the inhabitants of the Empire of Japan, Land of the Rising Sun, that they may dutifully recognize the Splendour of
the Eternal Light, thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

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AVE MARIA IN JAPANESE - SEIBO MARIA E NO INORI

Megumi afureru sei Maria, Shu wa anatatachi to tomo ni oraremasu.

Shu wa anata o erabi, shukufukushi, anata no ko Iesu mo shukufuku saremashita.

Kami no Haha, sei Maria, tsumifukai watashitachi no tameni,

ima mo, shi o mukaeru toki mo inotte kudasai.

Amen.

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HAIL MARY IN MONGOLIAN

Amar amgalan Maria min' ee

Ta khishig iveeleer byalkham bilee

Ezen tantay khamt baina

Tanyg emegteychüüdiin dundaas adislasan bilee

Tany khevlii dekh ür Yesüsiig bas adislasan bilee

Tengerburkhany ekh Maria gegeen min' ee,

Ta odoo bolon nasan etseslekh möchid nügelt bidnii tölöö zalbiran soyorkhono uu.

Amen.