Filipinos hail new pope
People in the Philippines, Asia's largest Catholic country, are hailing the first-ever American pontiff.
More than 80% of the country's 100 million inhabitants are Catholic. Filipinos nationwide are celebrating the new pope.
Catholics in Manila attended mass on Friday. They expressed hope the new pontiff will do his best for the people of the world.
A man who attended the mass welcomed the news of the new pope. He added the cardinals elected one quickly and that they would not have picked someone who did not embody the principles of the Lord.
Meanwhile, many Filipinos had hoped their country would produce the first Asian pope. Media outlets said one leading contender was Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who is known as the "Asian Francis."
He gained popularity for his work to help the poor.
A woman said they prayed that Tagle would be picked, but she understands there might have been a reason he was not chosen. She added she is very happy to have a new pope.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. released a statement saying the Filipino people are praying for the new pope's strength as he leads the faithful with "grace, wisdom and compassion."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
6 hours ago
- Japan Times
Japan enacts law to turn science council into special entity
Parliament on Wednesday passed into law a bill to convert the Science Council of Japan from a state organization into a special public corporation. The new law for the council, which represents the country's scientific community, will come into effect in October 2026. In a plenary meeting of the House of Councilors, the upper chamber of parliament, the bill was approved by a majority vote with support from the ruling bloc and Nippon Ishin no Kai, an opposition party, following its passage last month at the House of Representatives, the lower chamber. The SCJ had called for revising the bill due to concerns about its independence. Meanwhile, an amendment proposed by the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan was voted down Tuesday at the Cabinet Committee of the Upper House. Under the new law, the council will be positioned as a "representative organization for Japanese scientists at home and abroad," and the government will provide necessary financial support. The law will newly establish an evaluation committee and auditors, to be appointed by the prime minister, to check the council's activities and finances. The SCJ will continue to hold the right to make recommendations to the government on science and technology policies. The law expands the number of council members from 210 to 250. Newcomers will be approved through a vote in the council's general meeting, after being nominated by a selection committee comprising council members. An advisory committee of outside experts will be able to give opinions on the nomination policy. In 2020, then-Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga took the unprecedented step of rejecting the appointments of six council member nominees, sparking a debate over how the body should be structured. In 2023, the government compiled a bill to change the council's membership selection method, but gave up submitting it to parliament due to strong opposition from the council. After discussions with experts, the government decided to seek a new law that turns the body into a corporation. SCJ President Mamoru Mitsuishi had released a statement on the new law, saying, "Concerns have not been eliminated from the perspective of autonomy and independence." At its general meeting in April, the SCJ approved by a majority vote a resolution seeking the bill's revision.
Japan Times
9 hours ago
- Japan Times
‘A Unique Country in Asia': Sex and politics make for strange bedfellows
The political is personal in Kenji Yamauchi's 'A Unique Country in Asia,' constantly intruding on the most intimate moments. During the film's opening scene, protagonist Yoko (Ami Chong), a stay-at-home wife and clandestine sex worker, gets so distracted talking about the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that she forgets to finish servicing a client. This being a film that's acutely sensitive to social graces, the john is far too polite to kick up a fuss. Abe seems to be a constant topic of discussion for Yoko and she doesn't lack for conversation partners. Her days are spent tending to a succession of smartly dressed gents, not all of whom share her distaste for the late politician — as divisive a figure in death as he was in life. A young man gets struck off her client list after outing himself as an active Liberal Democratic Party supporter; Kimura (Kenji Iwaya), an older regular who professes to be a fellow hater, gets treated to special favors.
Japan Times
18 hours ago
- Japan Times
Eased language requirement proposed for non-Japanese bus and taxi drivers
The government, at an expert panel meeting on Wednesday, proposed easing the Japanese language proficiency requirement for non-Japanese drivers working in the country, aiming to address the serious labor shortages in the bus and taxi industry. The panel met at the Justice Ministry to discuss the country's foreign worker programs. Japan accepts foreign bus and taxi drivers under the Type 1 category of its residency status system for foreign nationals with certain skill levels. With Type 1 status, they are allowed to work in Japan for up to five years. Bus and taxi drivers are required to have higher Japanese language proficiency than in other occupations, as they need to offer customer services and handle emergency situations. The government decided to ease the language requirement for bus and taxi drivers after the number of successful applicants for a Type 1 residency evaluation test for those jobs stood at zero as of the end of April this year. Currently, foreign nationals wanting to work as bus or taxi drivers in Japan are required to have the N3 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, which shows an ability to understand daily conversations to some extent and is the third highest of the five-level system. The government is looking at lowering the requirement by one notch to the N4 level. Drivers with the N4 Japanese language level will be required to be accompanied by a Japanese-language helper when on duty and will be encouraged to reach the N3 proficiency level as soon as possible. At the meeting, the government also proposed adding the field of logistics warehouses, the sector providing bed sheets and other items to hotels and hospitals, and the industry related to waste disposals to the list of industries eligible for the Type 1 program and a new skill development program for foreign workers. The new program will be introduced in April 2027, replacing the country's technical intern program. It aims to train foreign nationals to be eligible for Type 1 status in three years.
