Japanese Orthodox first hierarch urges to active preaching among Japanese

15 July 2008, 15:01

Moscow, July 15, Interfax - Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo and All Japan is concerned with Orthodox mission among Japanese and urged to work harder in this field.

When speaking at the recent Japanese Autonomous Church Council in Tokyo, the metropolitan said that since its founder St. Nikolay (Kasatkin) decease in 1912, it hadn't grown in number and it made him "feel ashamed."

"There are 60 bishops in Ukraine, and we have only two hierarchs," Metropolitan Daniel stated and urged the clergy to active preaching among Japanese people."

The Council also cited the research data claiming that the Japanese Orthodox Church had 2 bishops, 23 priests, 12 deacons. There are 67 parishes and 9958 registered members of parochial communities.

The latter number covers only those who regularly participates in sacraments and make donations. This data does not include those who come to pray to Japanese Orthodox churches as their number is much bigger, the Moscow Patriarchate website reports.

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