There is a "polite persecution" of Christians in Japan, Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo told CruxNow.com on February 28.
He said that religious activities are welcomed by the public "as long as they remain confined within their own premises, such as temples and churches".
The cardinal added that, due to the separation of religion and state, it is often argued that the church should refrain from speaking about political matters.
He continued: "Catholics in Japan sometimes find it difficult to even gather regularly on Sundays, not because of persecution, but because such consistent religious commitment does not easily fit within the broader cultural understanding of religion."
Public schools frequently organise events on Sundays. The Sunday is "a day for various activities that cannot be done during the week".
Cardinal Kikuchi, who is also president of Caritas Internationalis, said that the Catholic charity was asked "to avoid explicit Christian identification in order to prevent tension within the local context or to avoid arousing suspicion."
Picture: Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi © wikipedia CC BY-SA, #newsRtlbqeigtq