80th birthday of the Primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church celebrated in Tokyo

On 5 September 2018, Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo and All Japan celebrated his 80^th birthday. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Archbishop Antony of Vienna and Budapest, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administration for Institutions Abroad, arrived in Japan to convey greetings to the Primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church. He was accompanied on his visit by Mr. Dmitry Petrovsky, a staff member of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations.

Meeting Archbishop Antony at the Narita Airport in Tokyo were Archpriest Nikolai Katsuban, dean of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Representation in Tokyo, and the Russian diplomats.

On 9 September 2018, Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo and All Japan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection in Tokyo. Concelebrating with the Primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church were Archbishop Antony of Vienna and Budapest and the local clergy.

After the service, Archbishop Antony read out a message of greetings from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to Metropolitan Daniel. Upon the blessing of the Primate of the Russian Church, in consideration of the many years of archpastoral and missionary labours and on the occasion of the 80^th birthday, Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo and All Japan was awarded with the Order of St. Innocent the Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, 1^st class.

DECR Communication Service