6 days ago
The form of Christianity that fewer than 100 people still follow
Hidden Christians in Nagasaki, Japan, are a community that secretly practised Christianity during periods of persecution, and they are now on the verge of dying out.
After emerging from isolation in 1865, some Hidden Christians converted to mainstream Catholicism, while others continued their unique practices.
The Hidden Christians' rituals and traditions have remained unchanged since the 16th century, with group leaders called Oji presiding over ceremonies and different communities worshipping different icons.
The decline in population, modernisation, and lack of professional religious leaders have made it difficult to maintain the tight networks that sustained Hidden Christianity.
Efforts are being made to preserve the history and artefacts of Hidden Christians through documentation and archiving, but there is a growing certainty that this unique version of Christianity will disappear with the current generation.
