Originally this was posted to Dejanews. When they were going bankrupt I saved a copy. Now that this can be found in the google archives I've stripped out the original dejanews junk and kept only the actual text, only changed the formatting and inserted some links into the text so that the references will be clearer:

Thanks for posting this, Richard.

 Craig 

 

Bureau of Religious Affairs

 

July 10, 1999

 

To All Believers:

 

Apology and Testimony by Jitoku Kawabe

  

        As stated in the previous circular, the article slandering the Dai Gohonzon of the True Sanctuary in the July 7 edition of that suspicious document "Doumei Tsuushin" used the records of Jitoku Kawabe (aka the "Kawabe memo") as its basis. The following apology and testimony has been made by Jitoku Kawabe himself:

 

I would like to state the following:

 

I have made many memos, and in most cases I have jotted these down after the fact on the basis of my recollections of what I have heard. It is also my tendency to be extremely subjective, and to write in that style. This is an attribute of my personality.

 

If my recollection of the discussions at that time serves me, at the time a variety of topics were discussed concerning the doubts presented with respect to the Dai Gohonzon of the Sanctuary, both during the then ongoing court case, and prior to that incident. In this context, I had asked about the possibility of distorted theories being raised, even within our sect, concerning the relationship between the Dai Gohonzon of the Sanctuary and the Gohonzon Conferred on Nichizen, which was
delivered to the Head Temple in 1970, since they were both large Gohonzon*s and since they were similar in the thickness of the brush strokes, and about refutations if these distorted theories were presented.

 

The discussions made a very strong impression on me, and I cut out the prior and subsequent context in making my notes, so that the context of the memo appears to state that His Holiness the Lord of the Law had stated that the Dai Gohonzon of the True Sanctuary was a fake. This was a clear mistake in recording on my part.

 

I would like to sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart for my carelessness, which resulted in a memo that contained inappropriate content, which contravenes the facts, being leaked to external parties, thereby impugning the authority of the Dai Gohonzon of the True Sanctuary, and even causing vexation to His Holiness the Lord of the Law, and has further caused considerable inconvenience to all in our sect.

, 
       

The above is Rev. Kawabe*s statement. Priests and laity. Please understand the true circumstances of this matter, and do not be shaken by the malicious slander and vilification of the devil. Rather deepen your faith in the Dai Gohonzon of the True Sanctuary and the law which flows through kechimyaku (Translator*s note: someone (maybe John Ayres?) might want to take a look at this Kechimyaku Housui. Not quite sure I got the nuance right) which constitute the core teachings of our sect, and progress even further to achieve the 300,000 member grand Tozan of the Hokkeko in 2002, celebrating the 750th anniversary of the founding.

 

-- End