Marcellino Taiji Tani: key obituary facts
Is Marcellino Taiji Tani dead? Yes. Marcellino Taiji Tani died on October 10, 2026, at age 73.
Cause of death: Marcellino Taiji Tani's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Marcellino Taiji Tani known for?
He was a Catholic Bishop.
More about Marcellino Taiji Tani
Born: 13 February 1953.
Place of birth: Hyōgo Prefecture.
Gender: male.
Occupation: Catholic priest, Catholic bishop.
Nationality: Japan.
Also known as: Daiji Tani, Tani Daiji, Marcellino Taiji Tani, Taiji Tani, Tani Taiji, マルセリーノ谷大二.
Marcellino Taiji Tani, a Japanese Roman Catholic prelate and former bishop of Saitama, died October 10, 2026, aged 73.
Born in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, on February 13, 1953, he was known in the church by the baptismal name Marcellino. He was ordained a priest on March 21, 1986, and served as parish priest at churches in Urawa, Ageo, Kawaguchi and Tatebayashi, in the Urawa Diocese, which was renamed the Saitama Diocese in 2003.
Beginning in 1993, he also held the post of diocesan secretary. Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop of the Urawa Diocese on May 10, 2000, 14 years after his ordination to the priesthood. He was consecrated on September 15 that year in a ceremony presided over by Archbishop Takeo Okada at the gymnasium of Utsunomiya Kaisei Girls’ Junior and Senior High School in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture. Tani remained in office through the diocese’s change of name and until July 27, 2013, when Pope Francis accepted his resignation as diocesan bishop.