Peter Cardinal Shirayanagi
Encyclopedia
Peter Seiichi Shirayanagi (白柳 誠一 Shirayanagi Seiichi, born June 17, 1928; died December 30, 2009) was a Cardinal Priest of the Roman Catholic Church
and Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tokyo
.
, Tokyo
, Japan
, Shirayanagi studied at Sophia University
, earning a degree in philosophy
in 1951 and a specialization in theology
in 1954. Ordained a priest on 21 December 1954 at Kanda
Catholic Cathedral, he went to study at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome
, earning a doctorate in Canon law
in 1960.
Ordained titular Bishop
of Atenia and Auxiliary of Tokyo
in 1966, he was named titular Archbishop of Castro and Coadjutor Archbishop of the Tokyo Archdiocese in 1969, and succeeded to the post of Archbishop of Tokyo in 1970. As archbishop, he continued the Tokyo Archdiocesan Convention
, implementing the decrees of the Second Vatican Council
, and in 1989 led a group to visit the Catholic Church in China
. From 1983 to 1992, he presided over the Japan
ese Catholic Bishops' conference, which opened the Japanese Catholic
Center in Tokyo in 1990.
In 1994, he was proclaimed cardinal by Pope John Paul II
with the title of Cardinal-Priest of Santa Emerenziana a Tor Fiorenza
. On 12 June 2000, he retired as archbishop of Tokyo. He was one of the cardinal electors
who participated in the 2005 papal conclave
that selected Pope Benedict XVI
.
Shirayanagi was an honorary member of A.V. Edo-Rhenania Tokyo, a catholic student fraternity
that is affiliated with the Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen
.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tokyo
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tokyo
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tokyo is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Japan. It was erected as the Apostolic Vicariate of Japan on May 1, 1846 by Pope Gregory XVI, and its name was later changed by Pope Pius IX to the Apostolic Vicariate of...
.
Life
Born in HachiōjiHachioji, Tokyo
is a city located in Tokyo, Japan, about 40 kilometers west of the center of the special wards of Tokyo.As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 551,901 and a population density of 2,962.27/km². The total area is 186.31 km². It is the eighth largest city in the...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Shirayanagi studied at Sophia University
Sophia University
There are several rankings below related to Sophia University.-General Rankings:The university was ranked 61st in 2010 in the ranking Truly Strong Universities by Toyo Keizai...
, earning a degree in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
in 1951 and a specialization in theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
in 1954. Ordained a priest on 21 December 1954 at Kanda
Kanda, Tokyo
See also Kanda, Fukuoka and the disambiguation page for Kanda. is a district in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It encompasses about thirty neighborhoods...
Catholic Cathedral, he went to study at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, earning a doctorate in Canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
in 1960.
Ordained titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Atenia and Auxiliary of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in 1966, he was named titular Archbishop of Castro and Coadjutor Archbishop of the Tokyo Archdiocese in 1969, and succeeded to the post of Archbishop of Tokyo in 1970. As archbishop, he continued the Tokyo Archdiocesan Convention
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
, implementing the decrees of the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, and in 1989 led a group to visit the Catholic Church in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. From 1983 to 1992, he presided over the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Catholic Bishops' conference, which opened the Japanese Catholic
Roman Catholicism in Japan
The Roman Catholic Church in Japan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. There are approximately 509,000 Catholics in Japan—just under 0.5% of the total population. There are 16 dioceses, including three archdioceses with 1589...
Center in Tokyo in 1990.
In 1994, he was proclaimed cardinal by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
with the title of Cardinal-Priest of Santa Emerenziana a Tor Fiorenza
Santa Emerenziana a Tor Fiorenza
The Church of Saint Emerentiana on Tor Fiorenza is a Roman Catholic titular church in Rome, built as a parish church, by decree of Cardinal Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani...
. On 12 June 2000, he retired as archbishop of Tokyo. He was one of the cardinal electors
Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 2005
The following is a list of the 115 cardinal electors in the 2005 papal conclave, arranged by region and, within each region, alphabetically. Two cardinals who were eligible to participate in the conclave, namely Adolfo Suarez Rivera and Jaime Sin, did not attend due to ill health.-Roman...
who participated in the 2005 papal conclave
Papal conclave, 2005
The Papal conclave of 2005 was convened as a result of the death of Pope John Paul II on 2 April 2005. After his death, the cardinals who were in Rome met and set a date for the beginning of the conclave to elect John Paul's successor. The conclave began on 18 April 2005 and ended on the following...
that selected Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
.
Shirayanagi was an honorary member of A.V. Edo-Rhenania Tokyo, a catholic student fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
that is affiliated with the Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen
Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen
The Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen or Cartellverband is a German umbrella organization of Catholic male student fraternities .-Foundation:...
.