In less than two months, Pope Francis will begin his seventh international apostolic journey of 2019, this time traveling to Thailand and Japan.
The pope will arrive in Thailand on Nov. 20.
He will meet with the Supreme Patriarch of Thai Buddhism, as well as the king of Thailand, Rama X, in Bangkok.
He will also visit the sick and disabled people in a Catholic hospital, then have Mass and an inter-religious meeting.
On Nov. 23, he will arrive in Japan, but his activities will begin on the 24. First, he will visit the Atomic Bomb Hypocenter Park in Nagasaki, where the atomic bomb was dropped on Aug. 9, 1945. Here he will spread the message about nuclear weapons.
He will then visit the monument where 26 Catholic martyrs were crucified in 1597. He will also travel to Hiroshima where he will hold a meeting for peace at the Peace Memorial.
In Tokyo, he will meet with victims of the Fukushima power plant disaster of 2011. This was the most serious nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
He will also pay a private visit to Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace and will meet with young people and celebrate Mass.
After meeting with elderly and sick priests, he will return to Rome on Nov. 26
