Some time ago I wrote a post about Japan's Kakure Kirishitan, the "Hidden Christians" who maintained an underground Church for two centuries, in spite of persecution and with virtually no clergy, using clever methods such as disguising their statues of Our Lady as Kannon (see left).Since then I discovered that The Lion & the Cardinal has written about them as well, also posting a passage from Christal Whelan's The Beginning of Heaven and Earth: The Sacred Book of Japan's Hidden Christians.
Enduring persecution is always impressive, but I am even more impressed by these Christians' willingness and ability to carry on without a hierarchy, the texts of the faith or open rituals.
2 comments:
this is fascinating
This post onJapanese Madonnas might interest you.
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