ARCHDIOCESE OF OSAKA-TAKAMATSU (Osaka, Hyogo, Wakayama, Kagawa, Ehime, Tokushima, Kochi)

Archbishop

Auxiliary Bishops

Predecessors

ARCHDIOCESE OF OSAKA

• Most Rev. Felix Nicolas Midon, M.E.P. 1888-1893
• Most Rev. Henri Vasselon, M.E.P. 1893-1896
• Most Rev. Jules Auguste Chatron, M.E.P. 1896-1917
• Most Rev. Jean-Baptiste Castanier, M.E.P. 1917-1940
• Most. Rev. Paul Yoshigoro Taguchi 1941-1978
• Most. Rev. Paul Hisao Yasuda 1978-1997
• Most. Rev. Leo Jun Ikenaga, S.J. 1997-2014
• His Eminence Thomas Aquinas Cardinal Manyo Maeda 2014-2023

DIOCESE OF TAKAMATSU

• Msgr. Jose Alvarez, O.P. 1904-1931
• Msgr. Thomas de la Hoz, O.P. 1931-1935
• Msgr. Modesto Perez, O.P. 1935-1940
• Most Rev. Paul Yoshigoro Taguchi (Served concomitantly as Bishop of Osaka) 1941-1963
• Most Rev. Francis Xavier Eikichi Tanaka 1963-1977
• Most Rev. Joseph Satoshi Fukahori 1977-2004
• Most Rev. Francis X. Osamu Mizobe, S.D.B. 2004-2011
• Most Rev. John the Apostle Eijiro Suwa 2011-2022

History

ARCHDIOCESE OF OSAKA

In 1888 the Apostolic Vicariate of Central Japan was established when the three regions of Kinki, Chugoku, and Shikoku were separated from the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Japan and entrusted to the Paris Foreign Mission Society. On June 15, 1891, the Apostolic Vicariate of Central Japan was raised to the status of a diocese and constituted Osaka Diocese. The Apostolic Vicar, Msgr. Felix Nicolas Midon, M.E.P., was consecrated bishop. On January 27, 1904 all of Shikoku region was incorporated into the newly established Apostolic Prefecture of Shikoku. On May 4, 1923, the five prefectures of Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Shimane and Tottori were incorporated into the newly established Apostolic Vicariate of Hiroshima. On June 17, 1937, when the Apostolic Prefecture of Kyoto was established, the four prefectures of Kyoto, Nara, Mie and Shiga were incorporated into it, and the present jurisdiction consisting of Osaka, Hyogo and Wakayama prefectures was established. In 1940, upon the resignation of Bishop Jean-Baptiste Castanier, M.E.P., Fr. Yoshigoro Taguchi was appointed to succeed him and was consecrated bishop on December 14, 1941.
On June 24, 1969, the Osaka Diocese was raised to the rank of Archdiocese and Bishop Taguchi became the first Archbishop of Osaka. On February 5, 1970, Fr. Hisao Yasuda was appointed Auxiliary Bishop. On March 5, 1973, Archbishop Taguchi was named the second Japanese cardinal. On February 23, 1978, Cardinal Taguchi died, and on November 15 of the same year Auxiliary Bishop Yasuda was appointed Archbishop of Osaka. Fr. Jun Ikenaga, S.J. was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Osaka on November 2, 1995. Archbishop Yasuda resigned on May 10, 1997, and Archbishop Ikenaga was installed. On April 19, 1999, Fr. Goro Matsuura was appointed Auxiliary Bishop and was consecrated on July 17 of the same year. On August 20, 2014, Archbishop Ikenaga resigned and Bp. Manyo Maeda of Hiroshima was appointed Archbishop of Osaka, who was installed on September 23.
On June 28, 2018, Archbishop Maeda was created Cardinal. And before that, on June 2, Fr. Josep Maria Abella and Fr. Toshihiro Sakai were appointed Auxiliary Bishops and consecrated on July 16, 2018.

DIOCESE OF TAKAMATSU

The Apostolic Prefecture of Shikoku was established on January 27, 1904 when the four prefectures of Shikoku (Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime and Kochi) were separated from Osaka Diocese and entrusted to Spanish Dominicans of the Rosario Province. On February 26, 1904, Fr. Jose Alvarez, O.P. was appointed as the first Apostolic Prefect. In 1931, when Msgr. Alvarez resigned because of illness, Msgr. Thomas de la Hoz, O.P. succeeded him as Apostolic Prefect. In 1935 Fr. Modesto Perez, O.P. was appointed. He resigned in 1940, and from 1941 Bishop Yoshigoro Taguchi of Osaka Diocese served concomitantly as administrator of the Apostolic Prefecture of Shikoku. In 1949, the residence of the Apostolic Prefect was moved from Tokushima to Takamatsu.
On September 13, 1963, the Apostolic Prefecture of Shikoku was elevated to the status of a diocese and its name was changed to Takamatsu Diocese. Fr. Eikichi Tanaka was consecrated bishop and became the first Bishop of Takamatsu. Bishop Tanaka resigned because of illness and Fr. Satoshi Fukahori was consecrated bishop on September 23, 1977 and took over as Bishop of Takamatsu. In May 2004, Bishop Fukahori resigned, and Bishop Mizobe was appointed Bishop of Takamatsu from Bishop of Sendai. Fr. Eijiro Suwa was appointed the successor of Bishop Mizobe on March 25, 2011 and consecrated on June 19, 2011. On September 26, 2022, the resignation of Bishop Suwa was announced.

ARCHDIOCESE OF OSAKA-TAKAMATSU

On August 15, 2023, the Holy Father erected the new Metropolitan Archdiocese of Osaka-Takamatsu, by incorporating the Archdiocese of Osaka and the Diocese of Takamatsu.The Holy Father appointed His Eminence Cardinal Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda, until then Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Osaka, as first Metropolitan Archbishop of the new Archdiocese of Osaka-Takamatsu. The rite of erection of the new Archdiocese was celebrated on October 9 of the same year.