Brazil Hozo Shrine Festival
Two Million and Five Hundred thousand Soul Registers from 16 Countries Installed
In Brazil, the 56th Brazil Hozo Shrine Festival and the 28th Memorial Service for the Neglected Souls of Aborted Children at the National Memorial Tower were held from April 14 to 15 at the Brazil Hozo Shrine in Ibiuna, Sao Paulo. The number of soul registers installed was 2,502,798. They came from 16 countries, including Latin American countries such as Spain and Portugal, and the Republic of Angola in Africa.
The number of people who visited the Hozo Shrine during the Festival was about 14,966. As was the case last year, the Festival was simultaneously transmitted on the Internet to 16 countries, including Missionary Branches in Brazil and Latin American countries. This time the transmission to the Republic of Angola was made for the first time. The transmission helped to dramatically reduce the amount of CO2 emissions resulting from the movement of people.
In addition, CO2 reduction filters, which were introduced last year on a trial and proved successful (used on two iron incinerators last year) were installed on all six iron incinerators used to burn the soul registers. This contributed to a dramatic reduction of CO2 emissions.
The main festival of the Hozo Shrine took place from 9:30 a.m. on April 15. There was the reading by the attendees of the Holy Sutra, Nectarean Shower of Holy Doctrines for newly-memorialized souls. The Memorial Service for the Neglected Souls of Aborted Children at the National Memorial Tower was held from 1:00 p.m.
Prior to this, on April 14, the soul extraction ceremony and the purification flame ceremony were held, as well as the calling of the souls to be newly memorialized.
The attendees’ comments included: “I was deeply moved to have been able to attend the Festival to offer my gratitude to my ancestors. I was filled with deep love and a sense of oneness.”
Remarks by Rev. Yoshio Mukai, Bishop of Seicho-No-Ie Latin America
“Prior to this year’s Hozo Shrine Festival, we made a thorough review of the present method of how the soul register is treated and the ritual conducted under the guidance of the International Headquarters. As a result, the Rules Concerning the Hozo Shrine in Brazil was implemented so that the soul memorialization is conducted based on the correct interpretation of the teaching. This enabled us to correct the mistaken memorialization method and understanding. We also carried out promotional activities based on this rule. On the day of the memorial service, the ancestral souls of the members and followers of Seicho-No-Ie in a wide area were memorialized and the memorial service was conducted in compliance with the original purpose. I was very pleased.”