■Passing Away of The
Most Rev.Toshio Miyake
The Founder of the Konko Church of
Izuo,
the Most Reverend Toshio Miyake, who
had
greatly influenced world peace activities
through propagating talks among religious
organizations, passed away on August
31,
1999, at the age of 96 years and 7
months
at his residence within his much beloved
Izuo Church where he had devoted his
entire
life in Divine Service. He had been
hospitalized
since the spring of this year at a
university
hospital, but had returned to the Church
that day because he wished to end his
days
before Kami (God).
When he was 15 years old, he began
his religious
training under Master Yasutaro Yukawa
of
the Konko Church of Tamamizu, and later
founded
the Izuo Church at the age 24. During
his
72 years of service at Izuo Church,
he devoted
himself to bringing about mutual understanding
and cooperation between religions,
peace
activities, refugee and relief activities
on a global scale, while at the same
time
contributing to setting up numerous
international
organizations and constructing schools
and
orphanages in many South Asian countries.
His endeavors have won wide acclaim
from
the United Nations, governments around
the
world, as well as NGO organizations.
His
principal role in international organizations
have been Honorary President of WCRP,
Honorary
Chairperson of WFM, Honorary President
of
WAC, among others. Thus for 81 years,
he
has dedicated himself to helping people.
On September 4, the Church of Izuo,
which
had been cleansed thoroughly by the
heavy
rains of the
night before, welcomed a morning that
would
go down in the pages of history. In
an unprecedented
show of the high esteem in which the
late
Most Rev. Toshio Miyake was held for
his
pioneering activities to bring about
talks
between different religious groups,
his funeral
service was supported by The Most Venerable
Eshin Watanabe, Supreme Priest of the
Tendai
Buddhist Denomination; The Most Venerable
Kosho Otani, former Monshu of Hongwanji,
Jodo Shin-shu, Pure Land Buddhist Denomination;
The Most Reverend Nikkyo Niwano, Founder
of Rissho Kosei-kai; and Seiichi Cardinal
Shirayanagi, Archbishop of Tokyo, Roman
Catholic
Church as representatives of his friends.
Various other representatives from
many religious
organizations, educational, governmental
and economic circles, as well as diplomats
from Embassies and Consulates general
also
attended the funeral services together
with
several thousands devotees of the Church
of Izuo.
The funeral services began at 11 a.m.
in
the worshipping hall where a large
photograph
of the late Most Rev. Toshio Miyake
was placed
in front of the altar. With music from
Japanese
traditional musical instruments heightening
the solemnity of the occasion and the
voices
of several thousands of devotees joined
in
chants of thanks to heaven and earth,
the
funeral services unfolded with dignity
and
beauty, as one after another the Konko
Church
rites were observed. The Most Reverend
Takeyasu
Miyamoto, President of Myochi-kai,
who had
long worked with the late Most Rev.
Toshio Miyake
in WCRP religious cooperation activities,
said in his message of condolence "Your
death is of deep regret not only for
the
religions of Japan, but those of the
entire
world. We ask that you continue to
watch
over our efforts to bring about world
peace."
Messages were also received from organizations
from within Japan and overseas extolling
the achievements of the late Rev. Toshio
Miyake and expressing their condolences.
Dr. Kamel Al-Sharif, a President of
WCRP
from Jordan wrote "His name will
continue
to be a source of inspiration for all
the
workers for peace the world over,"
while
Reverend John Buehrens, President,
Unitarian
Universalist Association wrote "He
showed
great vision and courage in establishing
interfaith ties beyond Japan."
The funeral
services ended with words of thanks
from
the Right Reverend Tatsuo Miyake, the
chief
mourner and eldest son of the late
Most Rev.
Toshio Miyake, on the people who had
gathered
that day.
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