April 2009

Rissho Kosei-kai Youth Mission Visits Italy and the Vatican

Rissho Kosei-kai's second youth mission visited the headquarters of the Focolare Movement in Italy and the Vatican between April 26 and May 4. Headed by Rev. Keiji Kunitomi, deputy director of the General Affairs Bureau, the eleven-member group, consisting of Rissho Kosei-kai Gakurin seminarians and representatives from dissemination areas, took part in a symposium and a youth gathering.

This mission, following the first one last year, was to propose concrete steps for world peace through exchanges and dialogue between members of Rissho Kosei-kai and the Focolare Movement, a Rome-based worldwide lay Catholic group.

On April 28, the Rissho Kosei-kai group joined the symposium coordinated by the two organizations at the Mariapolis Center in Castel Gandolfo, a suburb of Rome. Under the theme "Christian Agape and Buddhist Compassion in the Life of Youth," representatives of the two groups spoke about their experiences of Christian love and Buddhist compassion. After the symposium the participants moved to the headquarters of the Focolare Movement at Roca di Papa (near Castel Gandolfo) and prayed in memory of Ms. Chiara Lubich, the late founder of the movement, before her grave in the chapel of the headquarters. Afterward they met Ms. Maria Voce, president of the movement.

On May 1, they visited the movement's community at Loppiano, near Florence, and joined a gathering of about 4,000 Focolare youths from Italy and other countries celebrating Primo Maggio (May Day). The participants enjoyed singing and dancing, and listened to fellow members' speeches about their religious experiences. The Rissho Kosei-kai members were invited onto the stage and explained Rissho Kosei-kai's Youth Day activities. In Japan Rissho Kosei-kai observes Youth Day on the third Sunday of every May as a day for young members to promote peace activities. At the Primo Maggio celebration, Rissho Kosei-kai members expressed their joy at meeting Focolare members during their tour as well as appreciation for what they had learned through exchanges with them.

Before Primo Maggio, on April 29, the Rissho Kosei-kai group visited the Vatican for an audience with Pope Benedict XVI in Saint Peter's Square and later paid a courtesy call at the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

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