Tokyo, Japan: Wearing a t-shirt with a cartoon image of Pope Francis, Minori Takeuchi energetically bounces while she walks outside Joseph Hall, switching between English and Japanese as she tells friends to come to the library.
Minori is a student at Sophia University, a Jesuit school in the heart of Tokyo. It’s a nationally revered institution, famous for its high-performing students and academic integrity.
Unlike many Catholic high schools and universities in Japan, which downplay and often ignore their religious ties, Sophia celebrates and promotes Catholicism overtly. It is a partner of the Pope in Japan 2019 campaign and will host a post-pope media event later in the week.
The group talked to CNA about their hopes for the pontiff’s address, and what topics they felt deserved to be touched on. “His coming here is giving us a channel to talk about Christianity and Catholicism,” said one of the students. Damien, 25, a Filipino Catholic working for Hino Motors Ltd. said his coworkers don’t really understand Christianity as a religion, and have little exposure to Christians in Japan. Many people only interact with Christians through their charity collections. When Damien told coworkers that he is a Catholic, they asked him if he was collecting money for something. He hopes the pope’s visit will force more people to think critically about Christianity and become more familiar with the basics of its beliefs.
“With the pope coming, the time he’s visiting isn’t the only important part. The time after he leaves is important too. This can be a chance to gather people who cannot go to their church – a good chance to return them.”
“We see [the pope] like close family. He’s like a grandfather for us,” said Minori. The pope spoke on Nov. 24 in Nagasaki, the traditional home of Japanese Christianity. Today, November 25, 2019, the Pontiff will end his tour at Tokyo Dome, where he will offer Mass, and address the Christians from across the country.
