OSAKA, DIOCESI di. — Suffragan of Tokyo, situated in the center of Hondo. It comprises the civil prefectures of O., Hyogo, and Wakayama, and part of the civil prefecture of Kyoto. This territory has played a leading role in the history of Japan, both because of the events that took place there and from an economic and commercial point of view. Just as Tokyo is the great center of the eastern region (Kanto), so O. is the center of the western region (Kansai).
Before the Second World War, O. was called the Japanese “Manchester,” a designation justified by its flourishing industries and fully active factories. The port of O. is among the principal ports of Japan. The war destroyed more than half of the buildings. Despite all efforts at reconstruction, the population, which before the war exceeded 4 million inhabitants, has declined, also because of the housing shortage. The territory of the present diocese of O. was initially included in the Apostolic Vicariate of Central Japan, erected on 20 March 1888 after being detached from that of Southern Japan. The diocese was canonically erected on 15 June 1891. The first evangelizers of the region were the Jesuits, among whom Fr. Baldassare de Torres deserves mention. In 1868, the Fathers of the Society of the Foreign Missions of Paris settled there; the diocese remained entrusted to them until its transfer to the Japanese secular clergy, which took place on 30 November 1940. Out of a population of approximately 8,000,000 inhabitants, there are 10,110 Catholics and 3,674 catechumens. There are 27 national and 99 foreign priests. The auxiliary personnel consists of several Australian secular priests; Benedictine religious of S. Ottilia; Trappists; Friars Minor and Conventual Franciscans; Jesuits; Lazarists; members of the Foreign Missions of Paris; Redemptorists; Oblates of Mary Immaculate; Marianists; Salesians of s. Giovanni Bosco; Scheutists; and members of the Society of S. Colombano.
There are 3 national brothers and 12 foreign ones; 273 national nuns and 110 foreign ones; 8 catechists; 2 elementary schools; 12 middle schools; 11 secondary schools; one vocational school; 43 primary stations; 67 sacred buildings; 3 dispensaries; 4 hospitals; and 5 orphanages. A periodical entitled Koe is published there.
