Tokyo, May 11, 2000

On May 10, 2000, at 5:56 local time in Tokyo, after a serious illness, Bishop Peter (Arihara) of Yokohama passed away.

Presented in July 1999 by the Local Council of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church, together with two other candidates, for consecration to the office of bishop, Protopriest Cyril Arihara, upon the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Aleksii of Moscow and All Rus', in August 1999 in the Trinity-Sergiev Lavra accepted monastic tonsure with the name of Peter in honor of Saint Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow. On September 6, 1999, after the Divine Liturgy in the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, Hieromonk Peter was elevated to the rank of archimandrite, and on October 9, 1999, took place his hierarchical consecration to Bishop of Yokohama, Vicar of the Diocese of Tokyo.

In March 2000, the Extraordinary Local Council of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church elected Bishop Peter of Yokohama as the President of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church.

In April 2000, in connection with the worsening of the condition of his health, Bishop Peter sent to His Holiness Patriarch Aleksii of Moscow and All Rus' and to the metropolitical Council of the Japanese Church a message with the request for his retirement from the responsibilities of the elected Primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church. In his response Message on April 24, 2000, His Holiness Patriarch Aleksii of Moscow and All Rus' with profound regret accepted the retirement of His Grace Peter and blessed the summoning of an Extraordinary Local Council of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church.

On May 6, 2000, Bishop Daniel (Nushiro) of Kyoto was elected as the new Primate by the extraordinary Council of the Japanese Autonomous Church.

The burial service of the late Bishop Peter of Yokohama took place on May 12 of this year in the Resurrection Cathedral of Tokyo (Nikolai-do) after the Divine Liturgy. The Primate-elect of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church, Bishop Daniel of Kyoto, celebrated the burial service.

Bishop Peter's interment took place on Tuesday, May 16 of this year, in Hakodate. Bishop Serafim of Sendai, together with the clergy of the Diocese of Sendai, celebrated the office of the interment.

Dept. of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate
11/05/2000
Translated from the Russian by Daryle Lamoureux