The Catholic Church in Japan, in collaboration with European religious groups, is set to establish a new pilgrimage route in southern Japan to honour the first Christian missionaries and the “hidden Christians” who preserved their faith despite centuries of persecution.

The planned route, called “The Way of the Gospel,” will serve as a spiritual journey similar to Spain’s famed Camino de Santiago, Vatican news agency Fides reported on Nov. 8.

The Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) is a 311-kilometer pilgrimage leading to the shrine of the apostle James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

The idea emerged after a Spanish Catholic delegation from the Archdiocese of Lucca visited Japan in September. The project is being developed with the Perugian Confraternity of Santiago de Compostela, together with the Japanese prefectures of Kagoshima, Kumamoto, and Nagasaki, their municipalities, and the dioceses of Kagoshima, Nagasaki, and Fukuoka. The confraternity promotes the pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela. Local authorities in Kumamoto and Nagasaki, as well as the mayor of Amakusa and various public and private institutions, have welcomed the initiative.

The pilgrimage route will connect Kagoshima and Nagasaki, passing through sites associated with early missionaries, including St. Francis Xavier, Luis de Almeida, and Alessandro Valignano. It aims to promote reflection on Japan’s Christian heritage and showcase the region’s cultural and natural beauty.

The route will also include UNESCO-listed “Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region,” recognized in 2018 for their global historical value. This acknowledgment has since inspired multiple cultural and faith-based initiatives in Japan and abroad. During his 2019 trip to Japan, Pope Francis paid tribute to the hidden Christians in Nagasaki, and in November 2024, he met with members of Japan’s Hidden Christians Research Association in Rome.

While some scholars suggest that Nestorian Christianity may have reached Japan as early as the 6th century, documented evidence shows that the Catholic faith was introduced by Portuguese traders in 1543. The arrival of St. Francis Xavier in 1549 further strengthened missionary activity, leading to a period of rapid growth before Christianity was banned in 1620 and missionaries expelled.

Persecution forced many believers to practice their faith in secret, earning them the nickname Kakure Kirishitan (“Hidden Christians”). The ban on Christianity was partially lifted in 1853, and full religious freedom was restored in 1873 under Western pressure, ending over two centuries of suppression.

Catholic youth from 11 Asian nations who joined an exchange in South Korea described the experience as rewarding and a meaningful opportunity to share their faith and build lasting friendships. The Daejeon Diocese hosted the second WE Connect: Pilgrims of Hope event from Nov. 1-7, drawing 73 participants. WE Connect was founded by Asian delegates who participated in the 6th Asian Youth Day and by alumni of the “Fondacio” youth leadership program. Kim Hye-ji of the Daejeon Diocese said the gathering helped participants better understand one another and grow in faith. For example, “when I shared thoughts about Korea’s martyr spirituality, I felt the Holy Spirit moving,” Kim said. “Despite our differences in language and culture, I realized we are one in Christ,” she added, expressing hope that the experience would guide her in discerning her vocation.

Young people from Thailand, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, East Timor, and the Philippines attended the program, besides those from the host country. Bishop Emmanuel Kanon Rozario, chairman of the Office of Laity and Family of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), spent three days interacting with the young participants. The week-long program featured workshops, cultural exchanges, and faith-sharing sessions. Participants also learned about the history of the Korean Church and visited major pilgrimage sites associated with martyrs in the dioceses of Daejeon and Suwon.

Father Park Jin-hong, director of the Daejeon diocesan youth centre, expressed hope that the young people “while reflecting on the martyrdom spirituality of the Korean Church, will discover and share the unique spirituality of their own churches.” Park said the WE Connect initiative demonstrates the potential for building a “network of spirituality” among Asian youth. The event, he said, was “a small preparation for the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day (WYD),” which South Korea will host. The global Catholic youth gathering, founded by Pope John Paul II in 1985, draws tens of thousands of participants from around the world. Pope Leo XIV is expected to attend the 2027 celebration.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, concluded a five-day pastoral visit with migrants and displaced Catholics under the theme “Raising Hope to Foster a Culture of Care.” From Nov. 1–5, Czerny met with internally displaced Catholics near Dhaka and visited Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar, highlighting urgent issues of migration, poverty, and social justice.

Bangladesh hosts two vulnerable communities: approximately 50,000 internally displaced Catholics in Dhaka and Narayanganj, and nearly 1.1 million Rohingya refugees and migrants in Cox’s Bazar — considered the largest refugee camp in the world. The visit sought to affirm the Church’s solidarity with these groups and encourage collaboration among Church leaders, government agencies, and humanitarian organizations.

On Nov. 2, Czerny celebrated Mass with more than 600 Catholics in Modonpur, Narayanganj, an industrial area where many migrants from rural Bangladesh live in precarious conditions. Many have fled their ancestral villages seeking better livelihoods, often working in factories under difficult circumstances. “You are poor, but you gather to worship God,” Czerny told the faithful. “As you pray, God will answer your prayers. You will be blessed.”

For Sujon Das, 28, a machine operator originally from Thakurgaon, the encounter was deeply moving. “Cardinal Czerny admired us,” Das told CNA. “I had night duty on Nov. 3, but after work I joined the Mass. Normally we cannot attend Sunday Mass because we only get Fridays off — and sometimes we work even then.” Das recalled a painful memory: “On Aug. 5, 2024, during political unrest, miscreants set fire to our church. Still, we keep our faith.” The violence occurred during widespread unrest following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which resulted in attacks on religious minorities across Bangladesh.

During his homily, Czerny praised those who serve migrants and refugees: “Communities that welcome migrants can be a living witness to hope — a promise of a present and future where the dignity of all as children of God is recognized.”

A top Vatican diplomat has raised the possibility of a papal visit to Sri Lanka as the two nations marked 50 years of diplomatic relations this month, a milestone reached as the island nation emerges from years of political turmoil and economic crisis.

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states and international organizations, visited Sri Lanka Nov. 3–8 to commemorate the diplomatic ties established Sept. 6, 1975. During meetings with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and other key officials, Gallagher said Pope Leo XIV may consider visiting the country in recognition of its progress toward peace and stability.

The visit came at a pivotal moment for Sri Lanka, which is rebuilding after a devastating civil war that ended in 2009 and a severe economic collapse in 2022 that forced the president’s resignation. The country also saw Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in 2019 that killed 269 people at Catholic churches and hotels.

On Nov. 4, Gallagher met Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat. During the meeting, the president briefed the archbishop on the country’s progress under his administration, according to the President’s Media Division.

Dissanayake thanked the archbishop for his visit, calling it “a blessing for Sri Lanka.” The president lauded the Vatican’s contributions to Sri Lanka’s education sector and its humanitarian assistance following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Gallagher responded that Pope Leo XIV is impressed with Sri Lanka’s progress in promoting peace and unity among religious and ethnic groups. He added that the pope may consider visiting Sri Lanka in the future, given the Vatican’s ties with the country and its progress on many fronts.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to establish a national body to investigate the thousands of killings committed during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs and to promote national reconciliation. Conference president Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, in a Nov. 7 letter, asked Marcos to create a “National Truth and Reconciliation Commission.” Such a commission, he said, will “restore dignity to victims’ families who continue to seek justice and closure,” the conference’s news service reported.

The proposed commission, he said, “would not seek vengeance but truth, accountability, and compassion,” and would help the nation “move forward with honesty and moral clarity.” It could also provide victims and witnesses with a safe space, review unresolved cases, and recommend reparations, support, and institutional reforms to prevent future abuses.

“Truth-telling is not an act of reopening wounds — it is the only path by which wounds can finally heal,” David wrote. “Silence breeds resentment and fear; truth restores dignity, trust, and moral coherence to our democracy.”

Human rights groups estimate some 12,000-30,000 extrajudicial killings were carried out by police and vigilantes during Duterte’s anti-drug campaign (2016–2022). Most victims were poor urban residents accused of drug-related crimes.

Duterte was arrested by Interpol on March 11 and transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, where he faces crimes against humanity charges related to the drug war and his alleged leadership of the “Davao Death Squad” during his tenure as mayor. His lawyers and supporters have dismissed the arrest as politically motivated.

David said creating the commission would send “a powerful message that the country chooses courage over fear, accountability over impunity, and reconciliation over silence.” “It would reaffirm a principle that lies at the heart of our democracy and faith traditions — that every human life has dignity and worth,” he added.

The prelate heads the Diocese of Kalookan, which is described as “ground zero” of the drug war killings. He said he continues to meet widowed mothers and orphaned children traumatized by the violence. Many families, he noted, have lost not only loved ones but also trust in public institutions, their sense of safety, and their livelihoods. “They deserve closure. Our institutions deserve restoration. Our nation needs healing,” David stressed.