Nagasaki: Pope Francis visited the Nagasaki Martyrs Memorial at St. Paul, Mich. The Pope gave the message after offering flowers at the memorial. As a seminary student, he recalled his enthusiasm for the faith of the martyrs of Japan and his desire to be a missionary on this holy land. The pope’s message began with the preface that this was a day he had been waiting for, a dream come true, and a pilgrimage.
Pope Francis said that the martyrdom of a martyr’s successor, Paul Micko, shows that we are seeing not only the darkness of death and martyrdom but also the light of exaltation because the martyrs are to become the seeds of new life that Jesus wanted to give us. He also referred to the words of Pope John Paul II who said, “This is not the hill of martyrs, but the hill of the evils of the gospel. For this is the sacred place where the human heart is freed from the evil spirit, selfishness, indifference, ease, and pride of the spirit of the life of the witnesses of salvation.
The mountain is a memorial of Christ’s ascension. Because martyrs are witnesses to the life of Christ, who rose from the dead and resurrected them against all contrary testimony. So we see life, light, and resurrection beyond the sacrificial offering of martyrdom. Faithful martyrs strengthen us in faith. Everyone on this hill is united with Christians who are being persecuted in many parts of the world. The pope said that those who suffered and were crucified by the evils of the gospel were many in the 21st century.
On February 5, 1597, at the age of 22, St. Paul Mickey and his companions were martyred by being imprisoned for their faith in Christ. In 1862 they were elevated to the status of saints by Pope Pius VI. Hundreds of people visit the shrine built-in 1962 to commemorate them. It is noteworthy that the pope visited here on the eve of the feast of Christ the King.
