By Kielce Gussie
To mark the National Day of the Holy See at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin extended a special greeting to the entire Japanese people on behalf of Pope Leo XIV.
“I extend to the esteemed Japanese people every good wish, with the hope that all those who live in this country may be blessed with prosperity and peace.”
In his message addressed to the Minister of the World Expo, the Cardinal highlighted the long history of relations between the Holy See and Japan, dating back all the way to the 470th anniversary of the first papal audience with a Japanese Catholic in 1555.
Eigthy years of shared values
While the two countries have very different cultural and religious roots, Cardinal Parolin stressed that they “have long chosen to know each other better and to appreciate each other’s merits.” The 80 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries is amplified by the connection between the Catholic Church and the entire Japanese society, such as education, healthcare, and social assistance.
The Secretary of State also emphasized the shared desire for peace, stability, “and our common efforts to limit the uncontrolled proliferation of armaments.” He recalled the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a historic event that has shaped the commitment to peace.
Beauty is a universal language
Choosing amongst the many shared values, the theme of the Holy See Pavilion at the World Expo prioritizes two in particular: beauty and hope, which Cardinal described as having “great relevance in the current global context.”
Reflecting on beauty, he argued means “implicitly means recognising that there is something important in the world, which must be defended and spread.” Beauty helps heal the heart and wounds in difficult times. He highlighted that beauty “becomes an antidote to cynicism, a universal language that unites individuals and promotes solidarity between peoples.”
Cardinal Parolin explained how urgent it is nowadays to value all expressions of beauty, including social beauty, which “emanates from solidarity initiatives, volunteer projects, choices made for reconciliation and forgiveness.”
In order to keep the “breath of beauty alive in our world” today, he highlighted the “often silent and hidden” works of people who serve others in education, assistance to the poor, and reconciliation of those divided. These are seeds that can “renew projects and restore light to the many dark places of our modern world.”
For the common good
Continuing on the theme of the Pavilion, the Cardinal argued that hope is closely linked to this idea of beauty. For Christians, he explained, hope is “rooted in trust in God and in his love for humanity.” It is not a solitary value. It does not create a sense of community and is “is not limited to desires for personal success.”
Hope, Cardinal Parolin said, is needed today more than ever. In a time marked by violence and worldwide challenges, the future is often something people look to with fear. “Only in hope do we find an antidote to fear and an encouragement to commitment and action,” the Cardinal stressed.
Hope inspires people to serve in their communities and, at the international level, “it becomes a call to an unwavering commitment to dialogue and cooperation, especially when tensions and conflicts seem insurmountable.” – Vatican News
