Pope's Asian agenda: Atomic bombs, martyrs, family reunion

Pope Francis has agendas both pastoral and personal for his trip to Asia, where he'll appeal for global nuclear disarmament at the sites of the atomic bomb and minister to two tiny Catholic communities that have suffered gruesome periods of persecution.

Emphasising the dignity of life is also on Francis' to-do list for his trip to Thailand and Japan that begins Wednesday, given the scourge of human trafficking in Thailand and Japan's use of capital punishment and high suicide rate.

As a young Jesuit, Francis dreamed of being a missionary in Japan, inspired by the courage of Japan's Hidden Christians, who braved two centuries of persecution to keep their faith alive.

In some way, this is the fulfilment of his dream, said the Rev. Bernardo Cervellera, editor of AsiaNews, a Vatican-affiliated news service.

In Thailand, Francis will also be reunited with his second cousin, Sister Ana Rose Sivori, an Argentine nun who has lived in Thailand since 1966 and will serve as Francis' official translator there.

Here are some highlights of Francis' pilgrimage, his fourth to Asia and one that could also touch on the Vatican's delicate relations with China:
ASIAN MARTYRS AND MISSIONARIES
Francis will greet some descendants of these Hidden Christians, whose story was recounted in the 2016 Martin Scorsese film "Silence."
THE POPE SAYS NO NUKES
Francis has gone further than any other pope by saying that not only the use, but the mere possession of nuclear weapons is "to be firmly condemned."
In response, Japanese bishops in 2016 called for the abolition of nuclear power to protect "our common home."
MINORITY CATHOLICS AND INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
THE POPE ON LIFE AND DEATH