Pope Francis taught people to listen and walk, says Japanese Cardinal

“We have learned much from Pope Francis' stance to listen and walk rather than command based on authority,” Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, the president of the Japan Council of Catholic Bishops and Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tokyo.

After the death of Pope Francis, he issued a statement.

The following is the message:

Dear Japanese Catholic Church,

On the passing of Pope Francis

Pope Francis, a devout shepherd, went to be with the Father on April 21st at 7:35 Rome time (2:35 Japan time on April 21st), after completing a journey of 88 years. We have lost a mighty shepherd, full of love and steadfast love.

As the first pope from South America, we are deeply saddened at the passing of Pope Francis, who led the Church strongly for more than a decade since 2013, through the Vatican institutional reforms and the promotion of the Church's synodality based on the outcomes of the Second Vatican Council. We pray for his eternal rest in the Father, our source of hope.

Pope Francis, born in Argentina as Jorge Mario Bergoglio in December 1936, was ordained to the priesthood in 1969. After his ordination, he served as a training instructor for the Society of Jesus, as the chief of an ordinary school, and for six years from 1973, he served as the head of the Society of Jesus in Argentina.

Appointed Assistant Bishop of Buenos Aires by Pope John Paul II on May 20, 1992, ordained a bishop on June 27, 1997, became Archbishop of the Cooperative Archbishop of Buenos Aires on June 3, 1997, and on February 28, 1998. On February 21, 2001, he was appointed Cardinal by Pope John Paul II, and for six years, from 2005 to 2011, he also served as President of the Argentine Council of Bishops.

Pope Francis, the 266th Pope elected at the Conclave following the retirement of Pope Benedict XVI, was the first Pope to be a member of the Society of Jesus. Despite being elected at the age of 76, he aimed to thoroughly undertake the Church reforms aimed at by the Second Vatican Council with strong and clear leadership.

In November 2013, the apostolic exhortation "The Joy of the Gospel" was released, clearly setting out our aim for a church filled with joy, where no one is excluded. Subsequently, in May 2015, the turnaround "Laudato Si" was announced, clarifying the tasks that need to be addressed as we work together with all the people of the world to protect our common home, Earth.

Additionally, the 16th World Conference of Bishops (Synod) was convened to listen to the voices of not just the bishops, but the whole Church, starting in 2021 and through 2024, as we were guided to walk the way of becoming a synodal church, not just the bishop. A church that listens to each other, without excluding anyone, supports and prays for one another, and identifies with the guidance of the Holy Spirit is a guide to the future of the church community.

Pope Francis visited Japan in 2019, and while meeting many people in Nagasaki, Hiroshima, and Tokyo, he strongly communicated to the world about the establishment of peace through the abolition of nuclear weapons and the importance of protecting all lives. For the Japanese church, it was truly an experience to feel the presence of our shepherd in their skin. At that time, we were spirited by the voice of the Pope directly.

Japanese bishops visited Rome on a regular visit to the Apostolic Seat (Adrimina) twice, in 2015 and 2024, and had the opportunity to exchange ideas directly with Pope Francis. We have learned much from Pope Francis' stance to listen and walk rather than command based on authority.

Since 2020, global life crises, frequent wars, and armed conflicts have taken away the world of tolerance, causing violence and despair to have power. In response to that reality, Pope Francis has cited the theme for the 2025 Holy Year, "Pilgrims of Hope," and asked that the Church may be a witness to the hope in Christ to the world by helping each other.

It is a great pain to the church to lose a powerful shepherd as we continue in the walk of the Holy Year.

On the passing of Pope Francis, let us thank him for all his contributions to the Church and for his guidance as a shepherd over the years. We pray for eternal rest, that he may receive abundant rewards in the Father's care.

President of the Japan Council of Catholic Bishops

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tokyo

Cardinal Isao Tsubichi

April 21, 2025