Niigata ( AsiaNews) - The bishops of all Japan are
gathering in Sendai to concelebrate a Mass for the victims and survivors of the
Great earthquake - and subsequent tsunami - that devastated the country on
March 11, 2011. This
was decided by the General Assembly of the Bishops' Conference of Japan, which
was held recently in Tokyo. The
bishops also approved the text of a special prayer for the victims of the
earthquake, which will be read in all churches of the country near the third
anniversary of the disaster.
The
meeting of the Bishops' Conference ended with a Mass presided over by the
president, the archbishop of the capital Msgr. Okada, and
with a message read by Papal Nuncio Msgr. Chennot .
The
bishops have decided to meet March 10 at the Cathedral of Sendai, one of the
areas most affected by the earthquake, for a Mass and a prayer for the repose
of the souls of the dead.
In
addition, during the plenary session, the bishops reiterated the commitment of
the Catholic community in favor of the reconstruction over the next three
years, all funds available to the Church in Japan will be directed to recovery
projects in the affected areas. The
provinces of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagasaki have confirmed the dispatch of
volunteers, who through the national Caritas provide materials and funding for
activities necessary for the population.
On
11 March 2011, a massive earthquake shook the eastern coast of Japan , causing a devastating tsunami . Approximately 16 thousand people died
immediately after the tragedy (thousands more disappeared), but the number of
victims continues to rise given the damage to the nuclear power plant in
Fukushima, which caused a leak of deadly radiation . The Japanese Church and
Caritas are engaged in rehabilitation programs in the area, but there are still
thousands of people living in dire conditions.