2026-03 髙瀬神父メッセージ Message from Fr. Takase

「祈りと償いの日」に心を合わせて

　四旬節は、神のいつくしみに立ち帰るために、教会が私たちをやさしく、しかし真剣に招いている時です。祈り、節制、愛のわざをとおして、自分の心の奥にある「見たくないもの」から目をそらさず、神の光に照らされて生き方を神の方へと向き直す季節です。回心とは、単に「悪いことをやめる」ことだけではなく、神の前で真実になること、そして傷ついている人の痛みを自分のこととして受けとめ、歩み方を変えていくことではないでしょうか。

　日本の教会は、教皇フランシスコの呼びかけに応え、四旬節第２金曜日を「性虐待被害者のための祈りと償いの日」と定めています。2026年は３月６日（金）がこの日にあたります。この日は、被害を受けられた方々の癒しと回復のために祈り、同時に、教会が犯した罪――無関心、隠蔽、二次加害を含む――を悔い改め、具体的な再発防止と被害者支援に歩みを進めるための日です。

　性虐待という出来事は、被害を受けた方の尊厳と人生を深く傷つけます。しかも、加害が共同体の「信頼」や「聖なるもの」を装いながら行われたとき、その傷はさらに深くなります。私たちは、被害者の方の声に耳を傾け、沈黙を強いる空気や「なかったことにしたい」誘惑を、四旬節の回心の中で断ち切らなければなりません。教会は、傷ついた人が安心して助けを求め、受けとめられ、支えられる場となるように、不断に自らを改め続ける責任があります。

　近年、教会の文書もまた、未成年者や弱い立場に置かれた人々を守る「保護の文化（セーフガーディング）」、そして透明性・説明責任の重要性を繰り返し指摘しています。被害者が歓迎され、支援されること、規則や手続きが整えられ、監視・評価され続けることは、教会の“体質”の回心にほかなりません。

　四旬節の回心は心の中の反省だけで終わりません。祈りは、私たちを神のいつくしみに結びつけると同時に、現実から逃げるための“安全地帯”ではなく、現実に向き合う勇気を与える力です。主は「小さい者の一人にしたことは、わたしにしたのである」と言われました。四旬節は、このみ言葉を現実の行動へと移す時です。被害を受けられた方々の痛みを前に、私たちの祈りが“形式”で終わるなら、それは回心ではなく自己満足になってしまうでしょう。逆に、祈りが私たちの心を変え、共同体の歩みを変えるなら、教会は少しずつでも「安全で、真実で、弱い人を守る場」へと変えられていきます。

　どうか今年の四旬節、３月６日（金）「性虐待被害者のための祈りと償いの日」は松戸教会ではちょうど初金ミサにあたっております。10時からのミサにぜひご参加くださり、教会全体の回心に心を合わせてお祈りください。

Joining Our Hearts on the “Day of Prayer and Penance”

Lent is a time when the Church gently, yet earnestly, invites us to return to the mercy of God. Through prayer, fasting, and works of charity, we are called not to avert our eyes from the “things we do not wish to see” within our own hearts, but to let God’s light shine upon them and turn our lives back toward Him. Conversion is not merely “stopping what is wrong,” but becoming truthful before God, taking the pain of those who have been wounded as our own, and changing the way we walk.

Responding to Pope Francis’ call, the Catholic Church in Japan has designated the second Friday of Lent as the “Day of Prayer and Penance for Victims of Sexual Abuse.” In 2026, this day falls on Friday, March 6. On this day, we pray for the healing and restoration of those who have suffered harm, and at the same time repent of the sins committed within the Church—including indifference, concealment, and secondary victimization—so that we may take concrete steps toward prevention and toward supporting survivors.

Sexual abuse deeply wounds the dignity and lives of those who suffer it. When such harm is inflicted under the guise of “trust” or “sacred authority” within a community, the wounds become even more profound. We must listen attentively to the voices of survivors and, within our Lenten conversion, break away from the silence and the temptation to “pretend nothing happened.” The Church bears the ongoing responsibility to reform itself so that those who are hurt may seek help safely, be received with compassion, and be supported.

In recent years, Church documents have repeatedly emphasized the importance of fostering a “culture of safeguarding” that protects minors and vulnerable persons, as well as the need for transparency and accountability. Ensuring that survivors are welcomed and supported, and that policies and procedures are established, monitored, and continually evaluated, is itself a conversion of the Church’s very “way of being.”

Lenten conversion does not end with interior reflection. Prayer unites us to God’s mercy, but it is not a “safe refuge” for escaping reality; it is a source of courage to face reality. The Lord said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.” Lent is the time to translate these words into concrete action. If our prayer ends merely as a “formality” in the face of the suffering of survivors, it becomes self-satisfaction rather than conversion. But if prayer transforms our hearts and changes the path of our community, then little by little the Church will be reshaped into a place that is “safe, truthful, and protective of the vulnerable.”

This year, March 6 (Fri), the “Day of Prayer and Penance for Victims of Sexual Abuse,” coincides with the First Friday Mass at Matsudo Church. You are warmly invited to join the 10:00 a.m. Mass and unite your hearts in prayer for the conversion of the whole Church.

We ourselves are also called to stand before God and enter into conversion. May the Lord’s mercy embrace those who have been wounded, transform our community, and lead us to walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel.