New cardinal of Tokyo shares his expectations of the next Pope

The Archbishop of Tokyo (Japan) shared the qualities he hopes to see in the next Pope, as he faces the possibility of participating in a future conclave after being created cardinal of the Catholic Church.

“If a conclave happens soon, I think what we need is someone who will continue the policy of Pope Francis,” said Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, in an interview with CNA – the English agency of EWTN News.

“Because he started this synodal path to create a synodal Church, and if someone comes with… a different agenda, then what we have been doing would be in vain, it would just disappear,” he added.

Cardinal Kikuchi, who is in Rome this month as a delegate to the Synodality Synod, mentioned that one of the difficulties for newly created cardinals coming from sees such as Tehran, Iran; Turin, Italy; and Toronto, among others, is to meet the 140 voting members of the College of Cardinals.

“After the announcement, a few days later, I checked the website to look for the names of cardinals under the age of 80, that is, those who are currently eligible to vote in a conclave. I know some of them, but I don’t know many of them,” he explained.

The 65-year-old archbishop stressed that he considers it important for the new cardinals, especially, to get to know the “senior cardinals” to learn “who they are, what they think and what their abilities are.” “Otherwise, it will be very difficult to elect someone as Pope,” he added.

One of the many ways Pope Francis has transformed the College of Cardinals in his 11 years of pontificate is by doubling the number of cardinal electors from Asia. When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, there were nine voting cardinals from Asia. After the next town hall, there will be 22.

“There are quite a few cardinals from Asia and I think that among us Asians we know each other quite well,” commented Bishop Kikuchi, in part thanks to the annual meeting of the Federation of Asian Episcopal Conferences.

As president of Cáritas Internationalis – successor to Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle in that role – Cardinal Kikuchi has had the opportunity to meet many cardinals and bishops from different parts of the world, although he added: “But I don’t know… who they are.”

The Japanese cardinal-elect noted that this month’s synodal assembly provided an opportunity for leaders of the episcopal conferences of Asia, Africa and Latin America to meet in Rome and expressed hope that future collaboration between these federations will help build relationships. . “We call ourselves the episcopal conferences of the Global South,” he added.

A missionary heart for China

Like nearly half of the new cardinals recently selected by Pope Francis, Cardinal Kikuchi is a member of a religious congregation.

The cardinal entered the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), a missionary order founded in 1875 to evangelize China, as a minor seminarian. He recalled being inspired as a young man by the story of Cardinal Thomas Tien Ken-sin, the first cardinal of China, who was also a member of the Divine Word.

“He was the archbishop of Beijing in the ’40s… and he was expelled from China in the ’50s, and he died in Taiwan. I knew that story when I was in minor seminary. “I greatly admired his bravery in trying to remain present in Beijing when the Communist Party was taking control of the country,” he recalled.

“We had many missionaries who escaped from China and came to Japan seeking refuge. We met many of them and they were truly an inspiration on how to be a strong missionary,” he added.

After his ordination to the priesthood in 1986, Kikuchi had the opportunity to become a missionary in Ghana, where he served for eight years, becoming the first Japanese priest to serve as a missionary in Africa.

Now, as archbishop of Tokyo, he oversees a diverse community that includes Catholics from mainland China, who have shared with him both their tribulations and their efforts to expand the faith in their country.

“We have a considerable number of mainland Chinese Catholics residing in Tokyo,” he noted, highlighting a Chinese parish with many members from that region.

Regarding the Vatican’s provisional agreement with Beijing on the appointment of bishops, Kikuchi stressed the need for clarity on diocesan boundaries. He explained that the current dioceses in mainland China do not coincide with the historical diocesan borders established before the arrival of the communist regime.

“Officially, the current dioceses in mainland China are not the real dioceses. The royal dioceses date back to before communist China,” he explained. Cardinal Kikuchi also spoke about the importance of the diplomatic relationship between the Holy See and Taiwan for the Church in the region.

“We are always carefully observing what the relationship between the Holy See and Taiwan will be,” he said. “The future of this relationship… will really affect the future of the Church in that area.”

The archbishop also sees the presence of 42,000 Filipinos residing in Tokyo as a possible evangelizing force in secular Japan. He recalled Tagle’s visit to Tokyo, where he encouraged Filipinos to see his presence in Japan as part of a divine plan to spread the Gospel.

“You have your own reasons… but it is God’s plan to spread the good news in Japanese society,” the cardinal added.

Translated and adapted by ACI Prensa. Originally published CNA.