Japanese prince, princess meet with Pope

May 13, 2016

Pope Francis received Fumihito, Prince Akishino and Kiko, Princess Akishino in a 20-minute private audience on May 12.

Prince Akishino, who is second in line to the Japanese throne, gave the Pope a porcelain vase and an emblem of the imperial family. The Holy Father gave him and his wife a medal and a copy of his encyclical Ladauto Si’.

The prince and princess are both Shinto; 79% of Japanese are Shinto and 67% are Buddhist, with tens of millions practicing both religions. Only 0.4% of Japan’s 127 million people are Catholic.

 

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Further information:

• Pope Francis meets with Prince Akishino of Japan (Vatican Radio)
• Audiences (Holy See Press Office)