To the Laity (23 February 1981)

On 23 February 1981, the Holy Father spoke in the Tokyo Cathedral, addressing the laity of Japan. The Pope spoke of the special place they occupy in evangelization and “in the internal life of the Church.”  

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, 

1. It gives me great pleasure to be able to greet you, lay Catholics, today. In Japan lay people occupy a special place in evangelization and in the internal life of the Church. This has been the case since the beginning. The missionaries could count on the generous collaboration of the laity, and were particularly encouraged by the profound faith expressed by the laity. Among the martyrs of the Church in Japan, in addition to priests and religious, there were numerous lay men, women and children who did not hesitate to confess Christ to the point of sacrificing their lives. It is even said that what decided St. Francis Xavier to come to Japan was the influence of a Japanese layman, Anjiro. This man, moved by a deep desire to make Jesus Christ known to his fellow countrymen, convinced the Saint to come here. Then he became a very valid helper, and it was he who underlined that the Japanese people would accept the Christian faith as long as they had seen with their own eyes that the lives of Christians corresponded to the message they preached. It is edifying and encouraging to look back to those beginnings to understand the beauty and depth of the mission of the laity in the Church today. 

2. Since then the Church in Japan has consistently continued its task of evangelization. The overall number of Catholics in this nation is still very small, but throughout the country there are fervent Christian communities which with their unity testify to the love of God and the power of Jesus Christ. The testimony that Christians give with their lives makes the evangelical message credible in today's Japan. The entire Church must be an evangelizing Church. Jesus himself exhorts all the members of his Body to be, with their everyday life, salt of the earth and light of the world. With Him I say to you: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" ( Mt 5:16). 

With the strength that comes from your faithful, trusting and loving union with Christ, you lay people of Japan have a particular responsibility to make the Gospel reach all levels of society, and to communicate with word and deed the message and grace of Christ. As true apostles, you seek opportunities to proclaim Christ to unbelievers and strengthen those who already believe in the faith. Your role is truly an indispensable role for the life and mission of the Church. 

3. In Him I greet the Christian families of Japan, which the Synod of Bishops called the "domestic Church". Parents and children truly build a community of love and understanding, where the joys and sorrows of life are shared, where the convictions of faith are passed on, and above all where praise is given to God in humble prayer. I salute the professionals and workers who strive to carry out their tasks as a service to society, bringing to it the convictions and ethical considerations that the teaching of Christ offers. 

I greet all those men and women who carry out activities in parishes and organisations, in works of charity and in the social apostolate, in education and catechesis. I greet the younger generations of lay people who can bring to the world of school and university the meaning and purpose that they have discovered in their lives in Jesus Christ. 

I say to all of you, be faithful to your mission: to spread the Kingdom of Christ to the glory of the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. And may Mary, Mother of Jesus, help you to make her Son known to your brothers and sisters in this nation. 

Copyright © Dicastery for Communication - Libreria Editrice Vaticana vTokyo Cathedral, February 23, 1981