Japanese Church leader warns of ‘polite persecution’ within the country

The Catholic Archbishop of Tokyo has warned that the modern-day assertion of “rights” related to abortion, assisted suicide and LGBT issues is getting used to limit religious freedom in what he called “polite persecution”.

Speaking to Crux Now, Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi said that the principle of separation of church and state, enforced in Japan because the end of the Second World War, was sometimes taken to mean that religion has no place in the general public realm.

“This makes it difficult for the Church to talk up regarding matters negatively affecting human dignity,” he said. 

The Church, he said, has been criticised as being “too political” when it has issued statements on issues akin to abortion, nuclear weapons and the treatment of migrants.

“Religion isn’t recognized as an ethical authority on this country and so long as we contain ourselves within the Church premises, we’re considered harmless and positive,” he said.

The cardinal added that the wary attitude of many Japanese towards religion has led some to suggest downplaying the religion motivation of charitable works.

As president of relief organisation Caritas Internationalis, Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, said, “At times, we’re advised to avoid explicit Christian identification with the intention to prevent tension throughout the local context or to avoid arousing suspicion, as occurred in Japan after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

“However, this concerns a fundamental principle of Caritas. Our activities should be rooted within the Catholic understanding of human dignity, the sanctity of human life, and ethical values.”

Christianity has long been a minority religion in Japan, with only around one per cent of the population identifying as Christian.