Japanese Catholic Church Before and During World War II: Catechisms of 1936 and 1942
https://doi.org/10.22394/2073-7203-2023-41-2-217-239
Abstract
In 1942 the Japanese Catholic Church published a new edition of the Catechism which was meant to replace the Catechism of 1936. Such a precipitous reedition was dictated by the Japanese government that demanded the previous Catechism to be revised to suit the ruling ideology of the state and general policy of the government. This article aims at conducting a comparative analysis of the two catechisms to reveal the points at which the Church had to succumb under the pressure of the government to survive in the atmosphere of complete governmental control over Japanese religious organizations. The research has shown that the two editions of the Catechism have a number of interesting differences touching not only upon the formal side of the Catholic teaching but also upon its core doctrines showing the pressure of the ideology of State Shinto and its impact even among the hierarchs of the Catholic Church. Thus, the Catechism of 1942 includes passages concerning the utmost subordination to the Emperor and the importance of exercising their patriotic duty. At the same time passages concerning the exclusiveness of the Catholic faith, description of the history of the Jews, and detailed description of some basic Catholic rituals were lacking in the newer edition. The differences between the two Catechisms show that during WWII the Japanese Catholic Church had to make a serious compromise with the authorities, touching upon the basic doctrinal concepts of the Catholic faith.
About the Author
A. Bertova
Saint-Petersburg State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Anna Bertova — Senior Lecturer
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Review
For citations:
Bertova A. Japanese Catholic Church Before and During World War II: Catechisms of 1936 and 1942. State, Religion and Church in Russia and Worldwide. 2023;41(2):217-239. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22394/2073-7203-2023-41-2-217-239
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