Pope Benedict XVI given copy of new Japanese Catholic Encyclopedia

Vatican City, Sep 24, 2009 / 12:47 pm

At the conclusion of this week’s Wednesday general audience, Pope Benedict XVI was given a copy of the four volume Japanese Nova Catholic Encyclopedia, the culmination of 30 years of research and work.
 
Archbishop Giuseppe Pittau, secretary emeritus of the Congregation for Catholic Education and promoter of the project together with the Sophia University of Tokyo, said a “key aspect” of the project was the participation by Catholics, Protestants and non-Christians.  The encyclopedia covers a wide range of subjects including the Second Vatican Council and the reality of the Church in Japan today.
 
Archbishop Pittau also explained that the project’s curator was Jesuit Father Shunichi Takayanagi, “one of the most important Japanese theologians,” and that it is constitutes “an important contribution for dialogue and the enculturation of the faith.”