Report on the situation of the Japanese Orthodox Church after devastating Quake and Tsunami

Report by the Serbian Orthodox Church

15/3/2011

With the blessing of His Grace Bishop Longin of Nova Gracanica-Midwestern America after several attempts we made the contact with the Orthodox Church in Japan. Metropolitan Danilo, the head of the Japanese Orthodox Church and the priesthood were very touched by the care of the Serbian Orthodox Church and our people towards Japanese brothers and sisters who sisters who undergo tough temptations.

A particular problem for obtaining more information represents the interruption of telephone and Internet connections that are used for emergency services.Because of the very unfavorable development of the situation in the nuclear plants Fukushima Daichi where are four reactors at the stage of overheating of which one releases radioactivity, the head of the Japanese Orthodox Church – His Eminence Metropolitan Danilo of Japan, asks all the Orthodox to multiply their prayers to Our Lord and Our Saviour Jesus Christ for the salvation of the Japanese people.

His Grace Bishop Longon of Nova Gracanica-Midwestern America will serve on Tuesday February 15, 2011, a small memorial service for all the suffered in this hard natural catastrophy and also prayerful canon to Holy Mother of God for all the injured and the missing, as well as for the improvement of the situation in the nuclear reactors.

We also convey the letter that we got first-hand from the Information Service of the Japanese Orthodox Church as well as the photographs connected with the mentioned events:

Beloved-in-Christ Serbian Orthodox Brothers,

In the name of Most-Holy Trinity, may peace of God our Lord prevail upon you.

The Holy Autonomous Orthodox Church in Japan and the Metropolitan Council wholeheartedly appreciates your prayers and spiritual supports. The biggest in the recent nation’s history earthquake struck the whole East Japan diocese and the subsequent tsunami disasters devastated the west coastal regions of Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima and Ibaragi prefectures and damaged the city of Sendai partly, where the Episcopal throne of the diocese exists, and almost all the regional orthodox communities which exist along the Pacific coast.

The Holy Autonomous Orthodox Church in Japan, accepting condolences from and sharing sorrow and grief with brothers and sisters of Orthodox Churches all over the world, mourns for all the victims of this disaster and prays that the merciful and mankind-loving God may save the lives of all those missing people, and heal the wounds of all those injured, and comfort all those who lost houses and possessions and left homeless and defenseless, and repose the souls of all those perished in the terrible disasters in peace and grant courage and strength to national authorities making great efforts to save the lives of the survived.

However, the whole nation is still found in danger and uncertainty; the aftershock of the earthquake continues and the prospect of recovery of traffic, communication and lifelines is not certain at all.

The Holy Autonomous Orthodox Church in Japan and the Metropolitan Council reconfirmed that Bishop Seraphim of East Japan diocese and four priests and their families are all safe. According to Bishop Seraphim, the building of the Episcopal cathedral in Sendai is totally saved but at least five orthodox communities-parishes and church buildings along the Pacific coast are severely damaged and one priest is missing.

There are 8 parishes along the Pacific coast. We have no exact information about the safety of all those parishioners. The whole situation of this vast catastrophe has not been revealed entirely clear yet, though getting more information from the ruined regions. We must pray more humbly that the safety of all those parishioners may be confirmed by God’s grace during the Lenten period.

Please remember us Japanese orthodox Christians in your fervent prayers.

With love in Christ,
Metropolitan Council Holy Autonomous Orthodox Church in Japan

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