Pope Francis says he wants to visit Japan in 2019

Pope Francis said Wednesday he intends to visit Japan next year, in what would be the first papal visit to the country in nearly 40 years, according to the Vatican."I would like to communicate my intention to visit Japan next year. I hope to fulfill this wish," Pope Francis said during an audience with representatives of a Japanese religious association.The pope -- who was invited to Japan by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when they met at the Vatican in 2014 -- has previously expressed a desire to visit the country but has never mentioned a possible date.The late Pope John Paul II became the fi…READ FULL ARTICLE