Peter Seiichi Shirayanagi (白柳 誠一 Shirayanagi Seiichi; 17 June 1928 – 30 December 2009) was a Japanese Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Tokyo from 1970 to 2000. He was made a cardinal in 1994, and also served as head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan from 1983 to 1992.

Life

Peter Seiichi Shirayanagi was born in Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan, 17 June 1928. 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. From 1954 to 1957 he served in pastoral ministry in the archdiocese of Tōkyō. He then went to study at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome, earning a doctorate in Canon law in 1960.

Consecrated 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. In 1981, Archbishop Shirayanagi organized events connected to the first papal visit to Japan. In 1989 he led a group to visit the Catholic Church in China.

In 1994, Pope John Paul II created him a Cardinal 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. On 24 November 2008 in Nagasaki, he represented the Pope, presiding over the beatification ceremony of the 188 Martyrs of Japan.

Shirayanagi was an honorary member of AV Edo-Rhenania zu Tokio, a Catholic student fraternity that is affiliated with Cartellverband.

Notes

  • Shirayanagi, Peter. "A Fertile Encounter of Faith and Culture", L'Osservatore Romano, 22 September 1999