Oura Church
Basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan Oura Catholic Church is a basilica located near Nagasaki Port, on Kyushu Island. Built in 1864 to the memory of the 26 Holy Martyrs of Japan who died in 1597, the religious construction was damaged by August 9, 1945’s atomic bombing, then restored and enlisted as one […]
Changing Face of Catholic Church in Japan Amid Nation’s Existential Crisis
Victor Gaetan World June 12, 2024 4 Things I Learned in 14 Days in Japan Sophia University, one of the most prestigious Catholic universities in Asia, has 14,000 students today. Pope Pius X directed German Jesuits to establish the university in 1906. (photo: Sophia University Archives.) At peak cherry blossom season in April, I spent 14 beautiful […]
Naito Joan
Born: c1549 – Died: 1626 Baptismal Name: João (=John) Japanese: ジョアン, 如安 or 如庵 Naito Joan was the son of Matsunaga Jinsukue 松永甚介), brother of Matusnaga Danjô Hisahide 松永久秀. His mother was the daughter of Naitô Sadafusa内藤 定房 of Yagi castle八木城 in Tanba province. His father died when he was a child and his position as heir to Yagi castle seems to have been […]
Justus Ukon Takayama
Fr. Johannes Laures, SJ One of the greatest heroes of the glorious Martyr Church of Japan is undoubtedly the Catholic lay apostle, Justus Ukon Takayama (1552-1615), or Justus Ucondono, as he was usually called by missionaries. Although he greatly desired to shed his blood for Christ, he was not granted this honor, yet he sacrificed […]
Some Fascinating Facts About the 26 Martyrs of Japan and Their Museum in Nagasaki
CatholicShare Detailed Response Historical Context of the 26 Martyrs The 26 Martyrs of Japan were executed on February 5, 1597, in Nagasaki, an event that marked a significant moment in the history of the Catholic Church in Japan. Christianity first arrived in Japan in 1549 with the Jesuit missionary St. Francis Xavier, who initiated a […]
Nagasaki: Center of Christianity in Japan
Christianity was introduced to Japan in 1549 when Portuguese Jesuit priests, led by Francis Xavier, began missionary work on the southern island of Kyushu, where Nagasaki is located. Local warlords granted the Jesuits freedom to preach and establish small churches in exchange for the profits to be gained from trade. Through the heroic labors of […]
Pope Pius IX and Japan. The History of an Oriental Miracle
Shinzo Kawamura, S.J., Sophia University, Tokyo October 12, 2017, Rome, Pontifical Gregorian UniversitySymposium in the 75.th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and the Holy See Foreword On January 8, 1867, His Holiness Pope Pius IX dispatched a special message to Fr. Bernard Petitjean of the Paris Foreign Mission Society, who at the time was […]
Japan’s Kakure Kirishitans
Japan’s Kakure Kirishitans are called the “hidden” Christians because they continued to practice Christianity in secret. They worshipped in secret rooms in private homes. As time went on, the figures of the saints and the Virgin Mary were transformed into figurines that looked like the traditional statues of the Buddha and bodhisattvas. The Bible and […]
The 188 Japanese Martyrs, Like the Martyrs of the Early Centuries
Fr. Mark Tardiff There are many resemblances between the Christians killed by the shogun and those Diocletian had killed. The future Japanese blessed include some samurai, a few priests, and many laity. 60 of them are women; 33 were under the age of 20; 18 were children under the age of 5. On November 24, […]
The Catholic Church in Japan c. 1956
The Apostolic Delegation set up by Pope Benedict XV in Tokyo became an Internunciature when the San Francisco Peace Treaty took effect and full diplomatic relations with the Vatican were established on 28 April, 1952. The Tokyo post has been held by Pietro Cardinal Fumasoni-Biondi, 1919-21, Archbishop Mario Giardini, 1922-31, Edward Cardinal Mooney, 1931-33, Archbishop […]