Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tokyo
Encyclopedia
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 Northern Japan on May 22, 1876.
It was elevated to the Metropolitan Archdiocese
of Tokyo
by Pope Leo XIII
on June 15, 1891, with the suffragan sees
of Niigata, Saitama, Sapporo, Sendai
, and Yokohama.
The current archbishop is His Excellency
Peter Takeo Okada
, since his appointment on February 17, 2000.
List of Ordinaries
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...
Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
Archdiocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
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...
is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the Roman Catholic Church
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...
in 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...
. It was erected as the Apostolic Vicariate
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
of 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...
on May 1, 1846 by Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI , born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, named Mauro as a member of the religious order of the Camaldolese, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1831 to 1846...
, and its name was later changed by Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
to the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Japan on May 22, 1876.
It was elevated to the Metropolitan Archdiocese
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
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...
by Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
on June 15, 1891, with the suffragan sees
Suffragan bishop
A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. He or she may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.-Anglican Communion:...
of Niigata, Saitama, Sapporo, Sendai
Roman Catholic Diocese of Sendai
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sendai is a diocese located in the city of Sendai in the Ecclesiastical province of Tokyo in Japan.-History:* April 17, 1891: Established as Diocese of Hakodate from the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Japan...
, and Yokohama.
The current archbishop is His Excellency
Excellency
Excellency is an honorific style given to certain members of an organization or state.Usually, people styled "Excellency" are heads of state, heads of government, governors, ambassadors, certain ecclesiastics, royalty, aristocracy, and military, and others holding equivalent rank .It is...
Peter Takeo Okada
Peter Takeo Okada
is a Japanese clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current archbishop of Tokyo.Okada was born in Ichikawa in Chiba Prefecture. He was ordained a priest on 3 November 1973. On 15 April 1991, he was appointed bishop of Urawa by Pope John Paul II...
, since his appointment on February 17, 2000.
List of OrdinariesOrdinaryIn those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
of Tokyo
- Théodore-Augustin Forcade, MEPParis Foreign Missions SocietyThe Society of Foreign Missions of Paris is a Roman Catholic missionary organization. It is not a religious order, but an organization of secular priests and lay persons dedicated to missionary work in foreign lands....
(1846 - 1852) - C. Collin ( 1852 - ?)
- Bernard-Thadée Petitjean, MEP (1866 - 1876)
- Pierre-Marie Osouf, MEP (1876 - 1906)
- Pierre-Xavier Mugabure, MEP (1906 - 1910)
- François Bonne, MEP (1910 - 1912)
- Jean-Pierre Rey, MEP (1912 - 1926)
- Jean-Baptiste-Alexis Chambon, MEP (1927 - 1937)
- Peter Tatsuo DoiPeter DoiPeter Tatsuo Doi was a Japanese Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Tokyo from 1937 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1960.-Biography:...
(1937 - 1970) - Peter Seiichi ShirayanagiPeter Cardinal ShirayanagiPeter Seiichi Shirayanagi was a Cardinal Priest of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tokyo.- Life :...
(1970 - 2000) - Peter Takeo OkadaPeter Takeo Okadais a Japanese clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current archbishop of Tokyo.Okada was born in Ichikawa in Chiba Prefecture. He was ordained a priest on 3 November 1973. On 15 April 1991, he was appointed bishop of Urawa by Pope John Paul II...
(2000 - )