On the weekend of 17 and 18 February 2024, Metropolitan of Korea and Exarch of Japan Ambrosios made a new pastoral visit to Japan accompanied by Fr. Roman Kavchak.
On Saturday he participated in several meetings with Japanese and other nationalities of the faithful to discuss issues of the Exarchate and on Sunday he presided at the Divine Liturgy with co-celebrants Fr. Paul Koroluk and Fr. Roman Kavchak.
Elder Metropolitan of Chalcedon Emmanuel and the Metropolitan of Vila Tserkva Efstratios participated in the Divine Liturgy. Also present were the Ambassadors of Greece in Tokyo Mr. Demetres Karamitsos – Tziras and Mr. Yannis Michaelides of Cyprus.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Ambrosios welcomed the distinguished guests with very warm words. Among other things, he said: “Your Eminences, we thank you warmly for your very honorable presence among us and we ask you to please address a word to the multi-ethnic flock of the Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Japan”.
Elder Metropolitan of Chalcedon Emmanuel gave a short speech conveying the revered paternal blessings of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. He also stressed the importance of celebrating the Eucharist by the small, at present, but dynamic flock of the Exarchate, under the pastoral care of the Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Japan Ambrosios.
Metropolitan Efstratios of Vila Tserkva followed by conveying the blessings of Metropolitan Epiphanios of Kyiv, of the Autocephalous Church of Ukraine, and thanked Metropolitan Ambrosios for permitting him to participate in the Eucharist. He concluded by emphasizing the value of the simplicity with which the Divine Liturgy was celebrated and expressed his wish for the continuation of the work of pastoral ministry to the Orthodox faithful living in Japan and the further evangelization of more people in the future.
Finally, Fr. Paul Koroluk mentioned how “today’s Eucharistic gathering is of historical significance in that for the first time three Metropolitans are present among us” and invited everyone to attend the reception held in the hall of the church, during which everyone had the opportunity to talk with Metropolitans and priests.
