Japan's fourth Roman Catholic cardinal passes away at 81,from Japan Google News,Dec.31st,2009

According to,The Mainichi Daily News,

Seiichi Shirayanagi, the fourth Japanese to become a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church, passed away after a heart attack Wednesday. He was 81.

Born in Tokyo, Shirayanagi eventually became Archbishop of Tokyo after returning from study in Rome in 1970. In 1982, he collected some 430,000 signatures for a disarmament petition from people across Japan on the occasion of the United Nations Special Session on Disarmament, exemplifying his proactive attitude to social issues. He was made a cardinal in 1994.

Shirayanagi publicly apologized for the Japanese Catholic Church's war responsibility -- the first time the Japanese church had ever made such an apology -- while also serving as the head of the Japanese delegation to a world religions' peace conference, lending his effort to the cause of peace all around the world irrespective of religion.

A total of five Japanese have been nominated for the rank of cardinal, though all but Shirayanagi had passed away.

A funeral service for Shirayanagi will be held at St. Mary's Cathedral in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward at 11 a.m. on Jan. 5.

(Mainichi Japan) December 31, 2009

Thank you