Nagasaki, Diocese of

NAGASAKI, Diocese of. - Suffragan of Tokyo, it is situated in the western part of the island of Kyushu. It comprises the entire civil prefecture of the same name, whose area is 4,192 sq km. This territory was at first part of the diocese of Funai, erected in 1588; it then passed to the apostolic vicariate of Japan, erected in 1846, and to that of Northern and Southern Japan (20 June 1876). The latter was elevated to a diocese on 15 June 1891. Once the diocese of Fukuoka had been detached from it, the remaining territory was entrusted to the Japanese secular clergy on 16 July 1927. The first native bishop, Msgr. Gennaro K. Hayasaka, was consecrated in Rome by Pope Pius XI on the feast of Christ the King of that year.

The first to spread the seed of the Gospel in that territory was St. Francis Xavier, in 1550. The Saint's work having been continued by Jesuit Fathers and brothers, by 1552 there were already 200 Catholics at Hirado. Among these must be remembered the daimyo of Arima, Protasio Harunobu, and that of Omura, Bartolomeo Omura Sumitada, who in 1582, together with the daimyo of Bungi, sent an embassy to the Holy See, promoted by Fr. Alessandro Valignano. In 1593 the Franciscans established their residence at Nagasaki. To them were added in 1606 the Augustinians and in 1613 the Dominicans. In 1587 came the first edict of interdiction of the Christian religion, proclaimed by the sovereign Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In 1597 the twenty-five holy Japanese martyrs were crucified at Nagasaki, of whom Msgr. Pietro Martinez, bishop of Funai, was an eyewitness. The year 1863, after various persecutions, marked the era of the missionary revival through the work of Fr. Petit-Jean, of the Paris Foreign Missions. In 1865 he discovered at Urakami, near Nagasaki, several thousand Christians, descendants of those of the 17th century, who had kept the faith secretly, despite the absence of priests and of all external assistance.

The population, according to the statistical calculations of 1950, reaches the figure of 1,657,558 inhabitants, for the most part Buddhists and Shintoists. Catholics number 63,170 with 350 catechumens, Protestants about 3,000; secular priests 44, of whom 40 are Japanese, regular priests 17, 27 brothers; 431 sisters, both foreign and native; 26 major and 77 minor seminarians; 402 catechists; 153 teachers; 47 sacred buildings; 36 parishes, 3 principal and 83 secondary stations; 3 hospitals; 5 orphanages; 2 homes for the aged; 22 kindergartens; one elementary school; 3 middle schools; 3 high schools; one vocational school. Two newspapers are published there: Catholic Kyolo with 13,500 copies; Seibono Kishi with 32,500 copies.

Edoardo Pecorsio