Department for External Church Relations
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DECR chairman sends condolences over the death of Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo and All Japan
DECR Communication Service, 11.08.2023
Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, sent condolences to Archbishop Seraphim of Sendai over the passing away of Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo and All Japan, Primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church. The text of the letter is given below.
Your Eminence, dear Vladyka,
It grieved me deeply to learn of the passing away of His Eminence Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo and All Japan, Primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church.
Thousands of people will always remember in their prayers the later archpastor – a noble, dignified man of pure and chaste heart full of genuine Christian love. This image will live in my memory too.
I give thanks to God as I recall my conversations with Metropolitan Daniel and our liturgical concelebration during my visit to Japan on the occasion of his 80th birthday. His Eminence’s personality and his inward spiritual strength left an indelible impression on me.
Imitating his heavenly patron, the Holy Right-Believing Prince Daniel of Moscow, whose name he received when taking monastic vows, the late hierarch strived to devote undivided attention to prayer. Amid all everyday concerns, there always lived in him the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious (1 Pet. 3:4).
By his inspirational preaching and his own righteous life Metropolitan Daniel taught the pastors and the flock entrusted to his care to follow the path of the Gospel commandments, reminding them that the purpose of every Christian’s life is salvation, which is unveiled in this world as righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17).
He exhorted his beloved children to strive after that joy, and his own eyes often shone with it. Joy permeated his whole archpastoral ministry aimed at equipping the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ (Eph. 4:12).
Now, when the venerable hierarch, full of days (Job 42:17), has gone the way of all the earth, with faith and hope we offer our prayers to the All-Merciful God for his blessed repose with all the saints. May his memory be eternal!
With love in Christ,
Metropolitan of Volokolamsk
Chairman
Department for External Church Relations
Moscow Patriarchate
Patriarch
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