An ecumenical group from the Czech Republic visited Nagasaki at the invitation of Japanese Protestants, where they prayed for reconciliation and Christian unity.
This year marked the first time that a representative of the Japanese Catholic Church participated in the annual gathering of the TLEA Church held in Nagasaki.
The visit took place as part of an ongoing exchange that began with a Catholic–Protestant reconciliation event in Bíla Hora in 2020, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Battle of White Mountain. Jakub Sadílek, Provincial Minister of the Franciscan Order in the Czech Republic, commented that the expanding movement of reconciliation has drawn significant response and interest.
Nagasaki is known as the site where the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan, including Paul Miki, were crucified in 1597. Following this, severe persecution continued in Japan, including the expulsion of missionaries ordered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1587. Despite these hardships, communities of believers—later known as Hidden Christians—preserved their faith for nearly 200 years without priests.
Today, Christians make up approximately 2 percent of Japan’s population.
