Japan-Vatican Relations

April 21, 2025
Japanese
  1. On April 21, following the demise of His Holiness the Pope Francis on the same day (April 21, local time), Mr. ISHIBA Shigeru, Prime Minister of Japan, issued a message of condolence to His Eminence Card. Pietro PAROLIN, Secretary of State of the Vatican.
  2. In the message, Prime Minister ISHIBA stated he is deeply saddned at the news of the demise of Pope Francis, and extended his heartfelt condolences on behalf of the Government and people of Japan. Prime Minister Ishiba also mentioned that since being elected as the 266th Pope in March 2013, Pope Francis has worked hard to protect the environment and promote peaceful diplomacy, with a strong voice supported by approximately 1.4 billion Catholics. Prime Minister Ishiba also stated that Pope Francis visited Japan in 2019 for the first time as a Pope in 38 years, and expressed his heartfelt respect for the achievements of Pope Francis to date.
  3. On the same day, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, issued a message of condolence to H.E. Arch. GALLAGHER, Secretary for the Relations with States, Secretariat of State of the Vatican.
  4. In the message, Foreign Minister Iwaya stated that he is deeply saddened to learn the demise of Pope Francis, and expressed his heartfelt condolences. Minister Iwaya also mentioned that Pope Francis had made great efforts to promote peaceful diplomacy and resolve global issues, such as environmental issues, during his tenure as Pope, and that his visit to Japan in 2019 marked a major leap forward in friendly relations between Japan and the Vatican, and paid tribute to His Holiness's achievements during his lifetime.
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