The Latest: What do Japanese call the pope?
Posted Nov 23, 2019 08:52:43 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NAGASAKI, Japan — The Latest on the pope’s visit to Japan (all times local):
10:45 a.m.
Is the pope “Kyoko,” or “Ho-o” in Japanese?
The Japanese government adopted the term “Kyoko” as the official translation of his title ahead of his visit this weekend, in line with the policy of the Catholic Church in Japan.
Catholics also used both titles but adopted the new title “Kyoko” following the 1981 visit to Japan by St. John Paul II. The faithful say it includes the Chinese character that clearly shows that the pope is a man of teachings. The Chinese characters used in the new title literally mean “emperor of teachings.” The earlier one meant “king of law.”
The official translation of the pope had been “Ho-o” in Japanese dating from when the Vatican established ties with Japan in 1942. That name remains on a plate posted at the Vatican’s embassy entrance.
Many Catholics actually call the pope “Kyoko-sama,” or “Kyoko-san.” Phonetically, “Kyoko” is also a common name for Japanese women.
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10:10 a.m.
Pope Francis is bringing his peace message to Nagasaki and Hiroshima on his first full day in Japan, paying homage to the victims of the U.S. atomic bombings and demanding an end to the stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons.
Francis was arriving first in Nagasaki as a downpour Sunday drenched the terraced fields and rice paddies around town, where autumn has begun turning hills of green into shades of red, yellow and orange.
Japanese Catholics and others are braving the rain in plastic raincoats, some queuing up for hours to secure a spot for Francis’ Mass in the baseball stadium. Others gathered at the outdoor memorial to bombing victims at ground zero, where Francis was expected to deliver a strong appeal for complete nuclear disarmament.
The Associated Press
