Pope Francis to visit Thailand, Japan in November

By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Kaori Kaneko

 

Pope Francis holds prayer for workers at Mahatzana work yard in Antananarivo, Madagascar, September 8, 2019. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/Files

 

BANGKOK/TOKYO (Reuters) - Pope Francis will visit Asia in November and will be the first pope in nearly four decades to make a trip to Thailand and Japan, Vatican sources said.

 

The pope will visit Thailand from Nov. 20 to 23 and Japan from Nov. 23 to 26.

 

Francis' trip to Japan will take him to Tokyo as well as the two cities hit by U.S. atomic bombs at the end of World War Two - Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Friday.

 

The visit will be the first papal trip to Japan since 1981.

 

The stop in Thailand will coincide with the 350th anniversary of the founding of the "Mission de Siam" by Pope Clement IX to oversee missions in Siam, the former name of Thailand. The late Pope John Paul visited Thailand in 1984.

 

Catholics are a tiny minority in mostly Buddhist Thailand, accounting for less than 2% of the population.

 

In announcing the Thai trip, Bangkok Archbishop Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovitvanit said the pope's full itinerary will be announced later.

 

The Asian papal trip is part of Francis' push to increase dialogue with other religions in order to promote world peace.

 

Currently, about 1% of Japan's population is said to claim Christian belief or affiliation.

 

Christianity was first brought to Japan by Portuguese missionaries in 1549 and banned in 1614, setting in motion a period of bloody persecution that forced the faithful to choose between martyrdom or hiding their beliefs.

 

This led to the development of "Kakure Kirishitan," or Hidden Christians, who kept their religion alive in isolated parts of Japan during the 250 years of suppression that followed the ban. Some rites took on elements of Buddhist ancestor worship, Japan's indigenous Shinto religion, and folk practices such as prayers for good crops.

 

The 2016 Martin Scorsese film "Silence" is set in Nagasaki and deals with two priests who travel from Portugal to feudal Japan to search for a mentor who has gone missing and spread the Catholic faith. It's based on a novel by Japanese author Shusaku Endo, who was Christian himself.

 

(Additional reporting by Elaine Lies in Tokyo; Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Michael Perry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-13

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38 minutes ago, webfact said:

Catholics are a tiny minority in mostly Buddhist Thailand, accounting for less than 2% of the population.

I have an old gf in Isaan. Talking with her the other day and she says she has done a switcheroo and changed over to Catholic. She says she got sick of the grasping monks. All take and no give.

20 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

I have an old gf in Isaan. Talking with her the other day and she says she has done a switcheroo and changed over to Catholic. She says she got sick of the grasping monks. All take and no give.

Like Catholics are any better look at the wealth of the church. (atheist speaking)

21 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

I have an old gf in Isaan. Talking with her the other day and she says she has done a switcheroo and changed over to Catholic. She says she got sick of the grasping monks. All take and no give.

She has not yet understood how Catholic priests work, travel Pope is Thai catholic pay

3 minutes ago, robblok said:

Like Catholics are any better look at the wealth of the church. (atheist speaking)

She doesn't know that and I am not going to tell her and go and spoil it for her. She hasn't got anything to put in the plate anyway.

And I didn't tell her the Pope's last treasurer, Cardinal Pell, was proven a kiddie fiddler and is now in jail in Australia where he belongs.

Few Catholics, but worse traffic jams when he's here...

religions are poison for mind. but considering most of people don't have much brain on their own, they need them, imho

I remember working at a Saint Mary's high school a long time ago and it was all about money, slave driving and pitiful contempt for the Thais, Philly and foreign staff working there for them ... money and nothing else. There are plenty of Catholics here, just it is not advertised too much. Look no further than the huge Assumption in Siratcha, it's massive and just one of many.

While ithinkthis pope is better than many previous, his appointment of Pell to a senior Vatican position was both questionable and seen as nothing more than removing Pell from theheatback home.

 

Pell is the perfect example of why religions are failing...And justifiably so.

9 minutes ago, Reigntax said:

While ithinkthis pope is better than many previous, his appointment of Pell to a senior Vatican position was both questionable and seen as nothing more than removing Pell from theheatback home.

 

Pell is the perfect example of why religions are failing...And justifiably so.

I am sure the Thai monkhood has kiddie fiddlers just like the Catholics.

Is he coming down Soi 6?

Apparently his eminence heard about the free 1000bt ...

And just when I thought Thailand was getting serous about their "Good ones in - bad ones out" immigration policy, they allow that kind of riffraff to enter.

 

Is he bringing his best friend Pell with him? Oops, I forgot. His good buddy is in jail for being a convicted pervert and destroying children's lives. 

Edited September 13, 20196 yr by Inn Between

Looking for converts, income is down. 

16 hours ago, webfact said:

The Asian papal trip is part of Francis' push to increase dialogue with other religions in order to promote world peace.

So he goes to visit largely peaceful buddhist countries. What about the elephant in the room causing most of the problems? No stop in Riyadh or Kabul ? 

Having gone to Catholic schools when I was younger! I must say, I hope there are specials on wine during his visit!

 

We shall fight the enemies of god! ⭐

Edited September 14, 20196 yr by Solinvictus

WHY THAILAND AND JAPAN DOES NOT MAKE SENSE 

1 minute ago, Rocking Robert said:

WHY THAILAND AND JAPAN DOES NOT MAKE SENSE 

He likes walking street and sushi

I can see the powers that be and the hiso not being impressed if the Pope sites Mathew 5.5 "The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth."

Word has reached the Vatican about the demonic possession that's been gripping the Immigration Bureau, and His Holiness has judged that nothing short of a full Papal exorcism will be sufficient to drive out the curse of the TM30. 

Well that's just great, the head of the largest pedophile ring in the world is coming. Maybe he is looking for a country for his kiddie fiddling priests to come after they get out of jail.

coming soon:

the pope mobile in a pot hole near you!

 

  

 

 

 

 

Edited September 14, 20196 yr by klauskunkel

13 hours ago, Reigntax said:

Pell is the perfect example of why religions are failing...And justifiably so.

The Catholic priesthood is full of predatory sex offenders, like Pell Always has been and always will be. 

1 hour ago, Rocking Robert said:

WHY THAILAND AND JAPAN DOES NOT MAKE SENSE 

 

Sure it does.

 

He only has 2% marketshare in Thailand. That means there is a huge potential to gain share. It's simple math logic.

14 hours ago, Reigntax said:

While ithinkthis pope is better than many previous, his appointment of Pell to a senior Vatican position was both questionable and seen as nothing more than removing Pell from theheatback home.

 

Pell is the perfect example of why religions are failing...And justifiably so.

It may be a "perfect example" of why the Catholic Church is failing, but there's no need for sweeping generalizations. You probably don't realise that the Catholic Church does not speak for the rest of Christian denominations. Far from it. Apparently it's (Catholic Church) about 50% of all christians world wide.

 

It's interesting that he hasn't planned to visit the Philippines, the most populous Catholic nation on earth. Duterte has shown the catholic church his middle finger since he came to power in 2016, along with choice words of condemnation. He was abused by priests as a young boy, so there's no love lost there. Despite this, he's set to become the most popular president in 33 years (since democratic era began).

 

Edited September 14, 20196 yr by tropo

Hope he can say a prayer for all the persecuted western currencies here... 

I hope he remebers to submit his TM30! 

Pope Francis was a hope not only to Catholics but to whole world to keep a balance between religions and for humens. 

 

But regret to say that the corrupt Vatican team and the sex offender priest are of stronger lobby then the Pope. He simply could not do anything. 

 

Sorry this is not to offend anyone but its reality.

Edited September 14, 20196 yr by Thaifriends

2 hours ago, Rocking Robert said:

WHY THAILAND AND JAPAN DOES NOT MAKE SENSE 

Why the block capitals?

If you can read the original post:

 

Quote

the 350th anniversary of the founding of the "Mission de Siam" by Pope Clement IX to oversee missions in Siam

 

I know there are some Christians here. My wife and her family are Christian. But, she has never heard of the Pope. Are there alot of Catholics here? There are only about 750,000 Christians, from what I hear. How many of those are Catholic? Seems an odd place to visit.