Japan Archives

Rich in dramatic Catholic history, Nagasaki awaits the pope

Associated Press, Pope in Thailand and Japan
Nov 19, 2019

It’s fitting that Pope Francis will start his first official visit to Japan in Nagasaki, the city where Christianity first took hold in the country and where nearly 500 years later it remains steeped in blood-soaked symbolism, both religious and political.

Efforts to protect life include promoting disarmament, pope says

Catholic News Service, Pope in Thailand and Japan
Nov 18, 2019

A commitment to defending and protecting human life requires a commitment to ending wars and to promoting nuclear disarmament, Pope Francis said.

From child prostitution to nuclear arms, Pope has a big agenda in Asia

Pope in Thailand and Japan
Nov 18, 2019

Pope Francis’s Nov. 19-26 trip to Thailand and Japan will be his fourth to Asia, following South Korea (2014), Sri Lanka and the Philippines (2015), and Bangladesh and Myanmar (2017).

Pope’s Asian agenda: Atomic bombs, martyrs, family reunion

Associated Press, Pope in Thailand and Japan
Nov 17, 2019

Pope Francis has agendas both pastoral and personal for his trip to Asia, where he’ll appeal for global nuclear disarmament at the sites of the atomic bomb and minister to two tiny Catholic communities that have suffered gruesome periods of persecution.

Vatican publishes updated schedule for papal trip to Thailand, Japan

Catholic News Service, Pope in Thailand and Japan, Vatican
Oct 28, 2019

After spending most of October at the Vatican working with the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon and dedicating the first two weeks of November to “ad limina” visits with bishops from the United States, Pope Francis will travel to Thailand and Japan in late November.

Pope Francis to visit Asia as it faces ‘unholy trinity’ of Christian persecution

News Analysis, Pope in Thailand and Japan
Oct 25, 2019

Although often happening under the radar of the world media, a new report says persecution against Christians is getting worse in many parts of Asia, calling it a “regional hot spot.”