On November 16 2008 at St. Ignatius church in Tokyo the Holy Mass for the Vukovar victims and the prayer for the world peace was celebrated. After organizing Holy Masses for the Vukovar victims in the Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki in 2006 and in the Memorial Cathedral for Peace in Hiroshima in 2007, this was the third consecutive Holy Mass for the Vukovar victims organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia to Japan on the eve of the fall of Vukovar on November 18.
On November 16 2008 at St. Ignatius church in Tokyo the Holy Mass for the Vukovar victims and the prayer for the world peace was celebrated. After organizing Holy Masses for the Vukovar victims in the Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki in 2006 and in the Memorial Cathedral for Peace in Hiroshima in 2007, this was the third consecutive Holy Mass for the Vukovar victims organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia to Japan on the eve of the fall of Vukovar on November 18.
At the beginning of the Holly Mass that was celebrated by the Vice President of the Chatolic Sophia University in Tokyo, professor of Modern History and Jesuit Jean-Claude Hollerich, Croatian Ambassador Dr. Drago Stambuk addressed more than 1000 faithful. He spoke about the Vukovar tragedy and made the parallel with the destruction of Japanese cities of Nagasaki, Hiroshima and Tokyo, as well as about the need to reeducate ourselves and implement the lessons of history, not to let the mankind repeat the same crimes again. He talked about compassion and the ties between people that stem from such commemorations, and strengthen the relations between respective countries. Talking about the line between Good and Evil he said that it runs through each human heart, not between the nations, and is shifting all the time. Croatian Ambassador stressed the necessity for forgiveness and peace as the prerequisites for the survival of the mankind. Jean-Claude Hollerich held the Homily related to the Vukovar tragedy, in which he emphasized the necessity of the central position of Jesus Christ in the lives of people, as well as absolution and hope. At the end of Holy Mass Apostolic Nuncio to Japan Alberto Bottari de Castello invited all attendants to include in their prayers the city of Vukovar and the other sad places in the world such as Kongo and Darfur and to change their hearts following the example of Jesus Christ's suffering.
Besides Croatian Ambassador and aforementioned priests, the Holly Mass was attended by the Vice Minister of Defense of Japan Seigo Kitamura, numerous Ambassadors, the Rector of the University of Split professor Ivan Pavic, accompanied by the Vice Rectors professor Roko Andricevic, professor Dragan Bolanca and professor Željko Domazet. Also by the representatives of Croatian karate team that participated in the World karate competition held in Tokyo, Croats living in Japan, including soccer player Edi Bosnar, as well as many Japanese journalists.
To read the whole speech of the Ambassador Stambuk, please click here.
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