Roman Catholicism in Japan

Japanese mosaic of Madonna and Child, in the Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth (a gift from Japanese Catholics to the church).

The Roman Catholic Church in Japan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. There are approximately 509,000 Catholics in Japan—just under 0.5% of the total population. There are 16 dioceses, including three archdioceses with 1589 priests and 848 parishes in the country. The bishops of the dioceses form the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan, the episcopal conference of the nation.

The current Apostolic Nuncio to Japan is Italian Archbishop Alberto Bottari de Castello. Archbishop Bottari de Castello is the Holy See's ambassador to Japan as well as its delegate to the local church.

Catholicism, as well as Christianity in general, was introduced to Japan by Portuguese explorers and missionaries, particularly by the Jesuits, such as St. Francis Xavier (who was, however, a Spaniard). Portuguese Catholics also founded the city of Nagasaki, considered at its founding to be the most important Christian center in the Far East, though this distinction is now obsolete.

Roman Catholic Dioceses in Japan

Province of Nagasaki

The gravestone (second from the left), in Melaka's St Paul's Church, of someone identified as Peter (?), the "second bishop of Japan", who had died in February 1598

• Archdiocese of Nagasaki
• Diocese of Fukuoka
• Diocese of Kagoshima
• Diocese of Naha
• Diocese of Oita

Province of Osaka

• Archdiocese of Osaka
• Diocese of Hiroshima
• Diocese of Kyoto
• Diocese of Nagoya
• Diocese of Takamatsu

Province of Tokyo

• Archdiocese of Tokyo
• Diocese of Niigata
• Diocese of Saitama
• Diocese of Sapporo
• Diocese of Sendai
• Diocese of Yokohama

See also

• Christianity in Japan
• Francis Xavier
• Kirishitan
• History of Roman Catholicism in Japan
• Taro Aso
• Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan
• St. Lorenzo Ruiz
• Silence the acclaimed historical novel by Shusaku Endo drawn from the oral histories of the "Hidden Christian" communities (Kakure Kirishitan and Hanare Kirishitan) that survived the 17th century state suppression of the Catholic Church in Japan.
• Our Lady of Akita

External links

• Giga-Catholic Information on the Catholic Church in Japan
• Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan
• The Holy See — The Vatican's Official Website
• Catholic Diocese in Japan geographically