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Spiritual, not economic crisis
Bishops take stock during ad limina visit
The greatest threat to Japanese society is not an economic crisis but a crisis of the spirit. That was the principal message that emerged as the country’s bishops gathered in Rome for their ad limina visits late in March.
Materialism and selfishness were cited by the bishops as the fundamental causes of social disorders. Archbishop Shimamoto Kaname of Nagasaki pointed to a rash of suicides among young people—over 30,000 in 1999—as a clear indication of the “anxiety and sadness” that stem from an absence of spiritual foundation.
In a message to “all the people of Japan,” entitled “Reverence for Life,” the bishops remarked on “the miserable history of humanity in the 20th century,” and said that the remarkable economic growth of Japan in the era since World War II may have camouflaged the decline in traditional institutions such as family life. The bishops call attention to the steady rise in divorce, abortion, promiscuity, and marital infidelity as evidence of a breakdown in moral standards. “When girls ask, ‘Why is it wrong for me to sell my own body?’ the adults of Japan cannot give a clear answer!” the bishops lament.