Metropolitan Sergius (Tikhomirov) of Japan
Encyclopedia
Metropolitan Sergius of Japan (secular name Georgiy Alexeyevich Tikhomirov)(1871–1945) was a Russia
n clergy
man and monk
of the Russian Orthodox Church
and later Japanese Orthodox Church
.
, in the family of a rural priest Tikhomirov. He studied well, entered in the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and graduated in 1896. In 1895 Alexiy took the monastic vows with the name Sergius. Later he taught theology at the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary and in 1899 became the prefect of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, in the rank of archimandrite
. In 1905, he was raised to episcopacy and consecrated Bishop
of Iamburg, vicar
to the Archbishop of St. Petersburg at the age of 35 years. Throughout his tenure at the Academy, he was a prolific preacher as well as an author of a number of works on Church history of his native Novgorod region.
(Japan acquired Southern Sakhalin or Karafuto in Japanese, as a result of the Russo-Japanese War
of 1904-1905) and secured the return of confiscated Church property to the faithful. In 1912 Archbishop Nicholas reposed and Sergius took over as the ruling bishop of the Japanese Orthodox Mission. After a brief respite, he had to face the tremendous difficulties caused to the life of the Japanese Mission by the Russian Revolution
. No aid from Russia meant a loss of almost the entire budget of the Japanese Orthodox Mission. The Mission, thus, had to severely cut back on its activity but survived.
In 1923, the Great Kantō earthquake destroyed the headquarters of the Japanese Orthodox Church, severely damaging the Tokyo Resurrection Cathedral
. Raising funds for its restoration became the central activity of Sergius and the Japanese faithful for the next years, and they succeeded in independently raising a vast sum and restoring the Cathedral by 1929. In 1931, the then Archbishop Sergius was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan
by the Moscow Patriarchate. However, the 1930s saw the rise of militarism and nationalism in Japan, with the new climate being heavily prejudiced against Christianity and all things foreign. Sergius was eventually ousted from his position at the head of the Japanese Church in 1940, in order for the Church to be able to comply the newly-issued Japanese government demand for all ruling clergy in the Japanese religious organizations to be native. Sergius spent the wartime years in obscurity, and he was arrested by the Japanese special police in 1945 on suspicion of being a Soviet Russian
spy.
By the time of his release, his health was terminally undercut and he soon died, on August 10, 1945, a mere five days before the end of World War II
. His remains rest side by side those of St. Nicholas of Japan
, in the Yanaka Cemetery
in Tokyo.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
man and monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
of the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
and later Japanese Orthodox Church
Japanese Orthodox Church
The Japanese Orthodox Church or The Orthodox Church in Japan is an autonomous church of Eastern Orthodoxy under the omophorion of the Russian Orthodox Church.-History:...
.
Early life
He was born on June 16, 1871 as Alexiy in a village of Guzi near Novgorod, RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, in the family of a rural priest Tikhomirov. He studied well, entered in the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and graduated in 1896. In 1895 Alexiy took the monastic vows with the name Sergius. Later he taught theology at the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary and in 1899 became the prefect of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, in the rank of archimandrite
Archimandrite
The title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...
. In 1905, he was raised to episcopacy and consecrated Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Iamburg, vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
to the Archbishop of St. Petersburg at the age of 35 years. Throughout his tenure at the Academy, he was a prolific preacher as well as an author of a number of works on Church history of his native Novgorod region.
His life in Japan
In 1908, he was sent to Japan to become a successor to Archbishop Nicholas (Kasatkin). Having acquainted himself with Japan and quickly mastered a language, Sergius showed himself a committed spokesmen for the Orthodox faithful of Japan's recent acquisitions in Southern SakhalinSakhalin
Sakhalin or Saghalien, is a large island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N.It is part of Russia, and is Russia's largest island, and is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast...
(Japan acquired Southern Sakhalin or Karafuto in Japanese, as a result of the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
of 1904-1905) and secured the return of confiscated Church property to the faithful. In 1912 Archbishop Nicholas reposed and Sergius took over as the ruling bishop of the Japanese Orthodox Mission. After a brief respite, he had to face the tremendous difficulties caused to the life of the Japanese Mission by the Russian Revolution
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
. No aid from Russia meant a loss of almost the entire budget of the Japanese Orthodox Mission. The Mission, thus, had to severely cut back on its activity but survived.
In 1923, the Great Kantō earthquake destroyed the headquarters of the Japanese Orthodox Church, severely damaging the Tokyo Resurrection Cathedral
Tokyo Resurrection Cathedral
, also known as , in Chiyoda, Tokyo, is the main cathedral of the Japanese Orthodox Church.- History :The founder of the Japanese Orthodox Church Ivan Dmitrievich Kasatkin , later St. Nicholas of Japan, was an archbishop who devoted himself to improving Japanese-Russian relations during the Meiji...
. Raising funds for its restoration became the central activity of Sergius and the Japanese faithful for the next years, and they succeeded in independently raising a vast sum and restoring the Cathedral by 1929. In 1931, the then Archbishop Sergius was elevated to the rank of 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...
by the Moscow Patriarchate. However, the 1930s saw the rise of militarism and nationalism in Japan, with the new climate being heavily prejudiced against Christianity and all things foreign. Sergius was eventually ousted from his position at the head of the Japanese Church in 1940, in order for the Church to be able to comply the newly-issued Japanese government demand for all ruling clergy in the Japanese religious organizations to be native. Sergius spent the wartime years in obscurity, and he was arrested by the Japanese special police in 1945 on suspicion of being a Soviet Russian
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
spy.
By the time of his release, his health was terminally undercut and he soon died, on August 10, 1945, a mere five days before the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His remains rest side by side those of St. Nicholas of Japan
Nikolai of Japan
Saint Nicholas, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Archbishop of Japan, born Ivan Dimitrovich Kasatkin was a Russian Orthodox priest, monk, and saint. He introduced the Eastern Orthodox Church to Japan...
, in the Yanaka Cemetery
Yanaka Cemetery
is a large cemetery located north of Ueno in Yanaka 7-chome, Taito, Tokyo, Japan. The Yanaka sector of Taito is one of the few Tokyo neighborhoods in which the old Shitamachi atmosphere can still be felt...
in Tokyo.