By LiCAS.news
TOKYO – Cardinal Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo apologized for sexual abuse committed by clergy and acknowledged institutional shortcomings in the Church’s safeguarding system ahead of Japan’s 2026 Day of Prayer and Penance for Victims of Sexual Abuse.
In a Feb 21 statement addressed to members of the Tokyo Diocese, Kikuchi reflected on the observance set for Mar 6, the second Friday of Lent, designated nationally by Japan’s bishops in 2016.
The bishops’ conference had announced the observance “in line with the wishes of Pope Francis,” marking it annually as a day of prayer, penance, and reparation for victims.
Kikuchi acknowledged failures within the Church’s leadership, writing: “Unfortunately, there are cases in which clergy and spiritual leaders in leadership positions in the Church have, as if abandoning their mission, committed sexual violence and harassment, thereby disregarding human dignity.”
Kikuchi expressed remorse for the harm caused by members of the clergy, saying the Church was “deeply sorry” that spiritual leaders committed sexual abuse, which he described as “an act that humiliates and violates human dignity and has caused long-term, deep suffering to victims.”
He then issued a direct institutional apology, saying: “We sincerely apologize for the Church’s sins of committing violence against life, a gift from God, and of disregarding human dignity.”
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