Tokyo (AsiaNews/JCN) Pastoral care and socioeconomic assistance to Catholic migrants and refugees in Japan "is not an additional task of the Church but an integral part of the Catholic mission", said Mgr Daniji Tani, bishop of Saitama and chairman of the Catholic Commission of Japan for Migrants and Refugees at the inauguration of a series of meetings devoted to the "pastoral care of foreigners".
The initiative is backed by the Federation of the Superiors and Provincials of Women's Religious Orders. Some 70 sisters took part in the first meeting representing 30 religious orders and every diocese outside of Kyushu and Shikoku.
"This is probably the first time that so many sisters involved in this work have gathered together," said Bishop Daiji said.
In the main speech of the seminar, he mentioned that the Universal Church is against all unjust immigration laws.
"Laws do not take priority over human rights," he said. "Human rights are greater. In the present circumstances we have to appeal to Japanese society about this," he added, emphasizing the important role the Church has to play in Japan, where restrictions on foreigners are increasing.
During the seminar Srs Remedios Carmen Roksin of the Sisters of the Assumption, Dominico Consuello of the Missionaries of Christ Jesus, and Takaryo Hiromi of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart talked about their work in the past 20 years.
"Each day is very tiring, but there is an inexpressible joy in being useful to others," Sister Consuello said.
The role of the nuns is to "be a bridge between Japanese and migrants, to view from both sides people of different cultures and show respect and understanding," Sister Roksin added.