Pope Francis wrapped up his visit to Japan in a very personal way Tuesday, spending the morning with his Jesuit confreres in the community that would have been his own had his dream to be a missionary come true.
Francis celebrated morning Mass in the chapel of the Jesuit-run Sophia University and visited retired and sick priests before delivering a speech on Jesuit education in the final event of his weeklong Asia pilgrimage.
“In a society as competitive and technologically oriented as present-day Japan, this university should be a center not only of intellectual formation, but also a place where a better society and a more hope-filled future can take shape,” he told faculty and students.
As a young Jesuit in Argentina, the former Jorge Mario Bergoglio had dreamed of following in the footsteps of St. Francis Xavier, who introduced Christianity to Japan in the 16th century.
He was prevented because of health reasons, but he joked with Japanese bishops upon arriving in Tokyo that he got his “revenge” when he was in charge of the order in Buenos Aires and sent five Argentine priests to Japan as missionaries.
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If Francis had come to Japan as a missionary, he likely would have eventually ended up at Sophia, a prestigious private university that caters to the wealthy, like many of the Catholic schools in Japan.
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In his speech to students and faculty, Francis urged the school to not just be a center for elites, but to consider more marginal groups.
“Quality university education should not be the privilege of a few, but constantly informed by the effort to serve justice and the common good,” he said. “The marginalized would be creatively incorporated into the life and curriculum of the university, in an effort to bring about an educational approach aimed at reducing distances and disconnects.”
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Students massed outside the school to welcome Francis, including some from the theology department who toted an environment-themed banner saying “Welcome” in Spanish.
They said they felt particularly close to the pope because they considered him open-minded and a friend.
“We call him papa because he is so close to us,” said Leo Ito, a theology student at Sophia.
