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Post by Admin on Nov 25, 2019 6:41:07 GMT
While in Nagasaki, one of the two Japanese cities hit by atomic bombs at the end of World War Two, Pope Francis has called for nuclear weapons to be abolished.  The Pope paid a visit Sunday to Atomic Bomb Hypocenter Park, where he said a world without nuclear weapons is both "possible and necessary"... and will require collective action by people and countries... whether they have nuclear weapons or not. The possession of nuclear weapons, he said, is "indefensible," and urged the prompt ratification of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.  The Pope was also due to bring his anti-nuclear message to Hiroshima later in the day.  This is the first papal visit to Japan in 38 years, and only the second in history. |
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Post by Admin on Nov 26, 2019 6:37:06 GMT
 Pope Francis gave Emperor Naruhito a mosaic of the “View of the Arch of Titus”, based on a watercolor painting by the Roman artist Filippo Anivitti (1876-1955). Japanese media made note of how the Emperor accompanied Pope Francis to his car. Usually guests depart with their retinue, while the Emperor remains inside. Analysts say this is a sign of the special regard in which he holds Pope Francis. After the brief meeting, the Pope traveled to Tokyo’s St Mary Cathedral to meet with young people. Emperor Naruhito acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1, 2019. His reign is officially known as the Reiwa Era, translated as “Beautiful Harmony”. The Emperor has some family connection to Catholicism. His mother, Empress Michiko, comes from a Catholic family, and went to Catholic schools. She received her undergraduate degree from Tokyo’s University of the Sacred Heart. Topics |
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Post by Admin on Nov 27, 2019 3:02:13 GMT
Pope Francis has held a mass at Tokyo Dome on Monday in front of a packed audience.
The pontiff arrived at the site on Monday afternoon after taking part in a meeting with young people in Tokyo.
Some 50,000 worshippers, including elementary school students from Catholic schools attended the mass.
They cheered and waved Vatican and Japanese flags for the pope as he arrived in an open-top limousine.
Pope Francis took about 20 minutes making rounds at the venue, kissing small children. He also smiled and waved to the audience.
One attendee was a former death row inmate awaiting a retrial. Iwao Hakamada has long proclaimed his innocence in a high-profile 1966 murder case.
Pope Francis revised the Catholic Church's teachings in 2018 and declared the death penalty inadmissible.
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