Metropolitan Seraphim Enthroned as the Primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church

DECR – 22/10/2023

Tokyo-Japan: Metropolitan Seraphim was enthroned as the Primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Tokyo on 22 October 2023 at Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Tokyo. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, took part in the enthronement. Autonomy was granted to the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church in the year 1970.

Archbishop Seraphim of Sendai and Vicar of Tokyo was elected as the Primate of the Japanese Orthodox Church on 28 September 2023 in the special meeting of the Council of the Japanese Orthodox Church at Tokoyo. The election was made due to the demise of Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo and All Japan on 10 August 2023.  On 11 August 2023 Archbishop Seraphim of Sendai was appointed as the Locum Tenens of the Metropolitan See of the Japanese Orthodox Church.

The enthronement was also attended by Chargé d’Affaires of Russia in Japan G.A. Sheep

At the small entrance, the Chancellor of the Japanese Orthodox Church, Archpriest Mark Koike, read the resolution of the Council of the Autonomous Orthodox Church of Japan dated September 28, 2023 on the election of Archbishop Seraphim of Sendai as Archbishop of Tokyo and Metropolitan of All Japan. Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk announced the Decree of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ on the canonical approval of the election.

After the singing of the Trisagion, Metropolitan Anthony exclaimed: “Divine grace, weakly healing, impoverished, replenishing and always creating providence for His Holy Orthodox Churches, places on the throne of the holy Saint Nicholas of Japan our father Seraphim, His Eminence Archbishop of the God-saved city of Tokyo and Metropolitan of all Japan in the name of Father. Amen. And the Son. Amen. And the Holy Spirit. Amen”.

During the proclamation of the last words and repeated singing of “Axios”, the two oldest clerics of the Japanese Orthodox Church – Archpriest Mark Koike and Archpriest Pavel Oikawa – placed Metropolitan Seraphim on the bishop’s throne three times, after which Metropolitan Anthony placed on the Bishop two panagias and a cross – gifts of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill .

At the end of the liturgy in the pulpit, the DECR chairman presented the newly elected primate of the Japanese Church with a blue metropolitan robe, a white hood and, after reading a special prayer, a staff.

Then Metropolitan Anthony announced a congratulatory address of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ and donated the bishop’s vestments to Vladyka Seraphim.

In his response, Metropolitan Seraphim expressed his heartfelt gratitude to His Holiness for his constant fatherly care for the Japanese Orthodox Church, to Metropolitan Anthony for his participation in the enthronement and the assistance provided by the Department for External Church Relations, and also especially emphasized the importance of preserving the unity of the Orthodox believers of Japan with the Mother Church.