BRAZIL HOZO SHRINE FESTIVAL
A RECORD 2.49 MILLION SOUL REGISTERS MEMORIALIZED
In Brazil, the 52nd Brazil Hozo Shrine Festival was held from April 12 to 13 at the Brazil Hozo Shrine in Ibiuna, Sao Paulo. The number of soul registers memorialized was 2,495,531, which was an increase of 81,681 (3.4%) from last year and a record. The festival on April 13 was attended by 18,000 people from not only Brazil but other Central and South American countries.
18,000 people attended the Brazil Hoze Shrine Festival
The main festival took place from 9:30 a.m. on April 13. Rev. Yoshio Mukai, Bishop of Seicho-No-Ie Latin America, explained the history of the Hozo Shrine as well as the significance of the Festival. It was followed by the Invocation and the reading of the Holy Sutra, Nectarean Shower of Holy Doctrines by the attendees.
The Memorial Service for the Neglected Souls of Aborted Children was held from 1:00 p.m.
On the previous day (April 12), the soul removal ceremony and purification ceremony were held. The calling of the souls to be newly memorialized was held on the afternoon of April 12 and the morning of April 13.
According to the Brazil Missionary Headquarters, the number of soul registers is steadily increasing and every year it becomes a record, This shows a dramatic change in the religious view of Brazilians, which used to be “with death man’s life ends.” Seicho-No-Ie’s influence has caused the Catholic Church in Brazil, to start an event that is similar to an ancestor memorial service.
What also contributed to the increase was the fact that from five years ago, Brazil’s entire organizations explained the significance of soul register-based ancestor memorial service and memorial services for the neglected souls of aborted children at leaders’ workshops and lecture meetings across the country. The service is also introduced in detail on the Seicho-No-Ie’s 29 television programs. It had a great impact.
Remarks by Rev. Yoshio Mukai,
Bishop of Seicho-No-Ie Latin America
“The weather was nice only on the day of the main festival. We felt that the 2.5 million souls which were memorialized were blessing the service. I offered my gratitude to the souls for their protection in helping our Movement grow well. I reaffirmed the significance of the ancestor memorial service, which Dr. Masaharu Taniguchi taught. We will work hard to promote the Movement with the hope that the number of soul registers to be memorialized will continue to increase in the future.”