“Today Europe is also becoming a periphery in the Church”

The archbishop of Tokyo and president of Caritas Internationalis, who has been chosen by Pope Francis among the new cardinals, invites us to look at the mission of the Church as an exchange of gifts. “Today many countries in Asia and Africa donate missionaries to the world.” Together with the Archbishop of Belgrade, they will be the first Verbite cardinals, with the only antecedent being Thomas Tien, Archbishop of Beijing, appointed by Pius XII in 1946.

Vatican City () – “Today the mission is an exchange of gifts between Churches, between those who have and those who do not have. Before it happened from West to East, but now many countries in Asia and Africa donate missionaries to the world. The very concept of periphery is changing, and Europe is also becoming periphery,” said the Archbishop of Tokyo, Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, today at the daily press conference on the work of the Synod that is taking place in the Vatican, a few hours after Pope Francis announced on Sunday at the Angelus that he had included him in the list of 21 new cardinals who will be created in the next consistory on December 8.

Bishop Kikuchi, who is 65 years old and has not only headed the archdiocese of Tokyo since 2017 but has also been president of Caritas Internationalis since last year, noted that this time Francis has looked with particular attention to Asia. “He has just been to our continent, where he visited many countries – he recalled -. Among the new cardinals he has chosen three bishops from Asian dioceses. Broadly speaking, the center of the Church’s mission is shifting to the Global South.”

Regarding the experience of synodality, he explained that the Japanese Church is concentrating “more on its foundations than on the rush to build.” “We have met with priests, religious and lay people for the National Congress of our 15 dioceses: there we have practiced together the method of conversation in the Spirit. A common understanding of synodality is also required, which does not mean basing everything on consensus. “Common discernment must point the direction, then someone has the task of making decisions.”

About his appointment as cardinal, Bishop Kikuchi had already written on Sunday a message which he sent to his diocese and to all his friends. “This appointment is not only for me, but it is a great honor for the Church in Japan, in particular for the archdiocese of Tokyo, and also for Caritas Internationalis,” he commented.

“I was very surprised – he added -. It has been a long time since I have felt so shocked in the depths of my heart. And I felt confused. “When I think about the fact that being a cardinal is not just an honorary position, but that there are many roles to play as an advisor to the Pope, I can only see my limitations.”

In his message, Kikuchi also noted that, among the new cardinals of the December 8 consistory, there will be another verbiage, Archbishop Ladislav Nemet of Belgrade (Serbia). “He is a brother I have known for a long time. Next year the Society of the Divine Word will celebrate its 150th anniversary. In these 150 years of history, there has only been one cardinal, Bishop Thomas Tien, archbishop of Beijing, who died in 1967. Bishop Tien was created cardinal by Pius XII in 1946 and was then forced into exile in 1951 with the arrival of the communist regime in China.

The archbishop of Tokyo – who is secretary general of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) – also mentioned that among the new cardinals there is also Bishop Pablo David, of the Philippines, “who will be the next vice president of the FABC (from January 2025 together with the new president, Cardinal Felipe Neri Ferrao, archbishop of Goa ed.). I believe that it is an appointment that will be very significant for the FABC.”