Sophia University students participated in an online dialogue with Pope Francis

On June 20, 2024, Ms. Erika Morinaga (3^rd year, Doctoral Program in Systematic Theology), Ms. Yui Ohkado (1^st year, Doctoral Program in Death and Life Studies), and Ms. Riho Arisawa (3^rd year, Department of English Studies) participated as student representatives from Japan in a event organized by Loyola University Chicago and co-hosted by the Pontifical Committee for Latin America “Building Bridges Across Asia Pacific: A Synodal Encounter Between Pope Francis and University Students.”

Pope Francis has been promoting the Synodal Path since 2021, as Jesus portrayed in the Bible, walking alongside people and listening to their questions and concerns . As part of this initiative, the “Building Bridges Initiative,” launched in 2022, is the first ever project to bring together a group of students to engage in direct dialogue with the Pope. Following North America, South America, South Asia, and Africa, students from Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia participated in this project as the Asia-Pacific region representatives.

Last meeting for Japanese members prior to the event

Prior to the dialogue with the Pope, students from each country chose a topic they wish to discuss in their respective regions, followed by a series of group discussions, and then an online meeting between the Pope and the representative students was held.
Twenty-seven participating students from Japan (19 from Sophia University, 5 from Elizabeth University of Music , and 3 from other universities), split up in two groups and held a total of three meetings in May facilitated by Associate Professor Yuichi Tsunoda of the Faculty of Theology and Father Yasunori Yamauchi of the Catholic Jesuit Center. During these meetings, students first considered specific solutions to various issues in depth for the promotion of a sustainable global environment, economic justice, and holistic human development. Then, the students shared their views in the group. During this sharing, rather than pressing their own opinions, students listened to each other’s words in prayer and discerned what they should aim for together, while watching how their own hearts were moved by the words of each other.

Ms. Morinaga conversing with Pope Francis alongside students from Ateneo de Manila University (Upper right)

Ms. Arisawa (Upper right) and Ms. Ohkado (Lower right) conversing with Pope Francis alongside students from Sogang University

The highlight of the activity, the dialogue between Pope Francis and representative students from each country took place on June 20, where the representatives delivered the outcomes of the group discussions, followed by an unscripted and open conversation with the Pope.
Associate Professor Tsunoda, who observed the entire group exchanges, said, “In May, we held three meetings with participating students and experienced the fruitful results of dialogue within the group. During the online dialogue with Pope Francis on June 20, His Holiness answered various questions from the representative students with great love. We gained many insights from his message.”

The network among the students established during this event is promised to be a driving force for aiming towards a sustainable environment, achieving economic justice, and integrated human development.