Metropolitan Anastasius (
secular name
A legal name is the name that identifies a person for legal, administrative and other official purposes. A person's legal birth name generally is the name of the person that was given for the purpose of registration of the birth and which then ap ...
Alexander Alexeyevich Gribanovsky, russian: Александр Алексеевич Грибановский; August 6, 1873 – May 22, 1965) was a
hierarch of the
Russian Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
and the second
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.
Life
Alexander Gribanovsky was born on August 6, 1873, in village Bratki in the Borisoglebsky Uyezd of
Russia's Tambov Governorate
Tambov Governorate was an administrative unit of the Russian Empire, Russian Republic, and later the Russian SFSR, centred around the city of Tambov. The governorate was located between 51°14' and 55°6' north and between 38°9' and 43°38' east ...
(now
Ternovsky District,
Voronezh Oblast
Voronezh Oblast (russian: Воронежская область, Voronezhskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Voronezh. Its population was 2,308,792 as of the 2021 Census.
Geography
V ...
) to the Priest Aleksey Gribanovsky and Anna (née Karmazina).
After completing the Tambov theological primary school and then the
Tambov theological seminary, Alexander enrolled in the
Moscow Theological Academy
Moscow Theological Academy (russian: Московская духовная академия) is a higher educational institution of the Russian Orthodox Church, training clergy, teachers, scholars, and officials.
The Academy traces its origin to ...
, then under the rectorship of Archimandrite
Anthony (Khrapovitsky), the future
Metropolitan of Kiev and founding First Hierarch of the ROCOR. After completing the Academy in April 1898, Alexander was
tonsure
Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice i ...
d a
monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
by Bishop Alexander of Tambov with the name Anastasius after St.
Anastasius Sinaita
Anastasius Sinaita (died after 700), also called Anastasius of Sinai or Anastasius the Sinaite, was a Greek writer, priest and abbot of Saint Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai.
Life
What little is known about his life is gathered from his own ...
. On April 23, 1898, he was ordained a
hierodeacon A hierodeacon (Greek: Ἱεροδιάκονος, ''Ierodiákonos''; Slavonic: ''Ierodiakón''), sometimes translated "deacon-monk", in Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a monk who has been ordained a deacon (or deacon who has been tonsured monk). T ...
, and shortly thereafter a
hieromonk
A hieromonk ( el, Ἱερομόναχος, Ieromonachos; ka, მღვდელმონაზონი, tr; Slavonic: ''Ieromonakh'', ro, Ieromonah), also called a priestmonk, is a monk who is also a priest in the Eastern Orthodox Church an ...
.
In 1900, Hieromonk Anastasy was appointed inspector of the Bethany Theological Seminary near
Holy Trinity Lavra. In 1901 he became inspector of the Moscow Theological Seminary, with elevation to the rank of
archimandrite
The title archimandrite ( gr, ἀρχιμανδρίτης, archimandritēs), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot (''hegumenos'', gr, ἡγούμενος, present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") wh ...
.
On June 29, 1906, he was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...
Bishop of
Serpukhov, vicar of the
Moscow diocese. At his ordination, he pronounced a remarkable homily "The True Way of Christ's Pastoral Work", in which he prophesied the upcoming turmoil and persecutions.
In the position of vicar of the Moscow diocese, Bishop Anastasy's responsibilities included daily services in the Moscow Kremlin's
Dormition Cathedral, the
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, and other Muscovite churches and monasteries, as well as visitations to
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...
es, direction of institutions of theological learning, and direction of a committee to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the
Battle of Borodino and the 300th anniversary of the
Romanov
The House of Romanov (also transcribed Romanoff; rus, Романовы, Románovy, rɐˈmanəvɨ) was the reigning imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after the Tsarina, Anastasia Romanova, was married to ...
dynasty.
In May 1914, Bishop Anastasy was appointed to the Kholm and Liublin diocese. A month and a half later, the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
began, and, in addition to his diocesan duties, Bishop Anastasius served soldiers on the front, for which he was decorated with the Order of St Vladimir, and, later, the
Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.
In 1915, he was forced to evacuate from the front to the interior, and lived in Moscow at the
Chudov Monastery
The Chudov Monastery (russian: Чу́дов монасты́рь; more formally known as Alexius’ Archangel Michael Monastery) was founded in the Moscow Kremlin in 1358 by Metropolitan Alexius of Moscow. The monastery was dedicated to the mi ...
. In the end of 1915, he was appointed to the Eparchy of Chişinău and Khotin, and in 1916 he was elevated to the rank of
archbishop. With the opening of the Romanian front, Archbishop Anastasy once again found himself in an area with military operations.
In August 1917 he left Bessarabia for Moscow to participate in the All-Russian Council of 1917-1918. During the election of a new Patriarch of Moscow, his candidacy received 77 votes; he then participated in the preparation for the
enthronement
An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. Enthronements may also feature as part of a larger coronation rite.
...
of Patriarch St.
Tikhon of Moscow
Tikhon of Moscow (russian: Тихон Московский, – ), born Vasily Ivanovich Bellavin (russian: Василий Иванович Беллавин), was a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). On 5 November 1917 ( OS) he was ...
, which he described in his article "Election and Enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon, his personality and work." Archbishop Anastasy was elected a member of the Holy Synod of Bishops.
In October 1918, he departed from Moscow headed for Odessa with the hope of being able to return to
Chişinău, which was under Romanian occupation. He was not able, however, to return to
Bessarabia because of pressure from Romanian authorities to leave the Russian Church and enter into the jurisdiction of the
Romanian Patriarchate. He refused to join the Romanian Orthodox Church, and so remained in
Odessa. With the Bolshevik invasion, he was forced to leave for
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...
in 1919. Briefly returning to Russia, he visited Novorosiisk, Rostov, and
Novocherkassk
Novocherkassk (russian: Новочерка́сск, lit. ''New Cherkassk'') is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located near the confluence of the Tuzlov and Aksay Rivers, the latter a distributary of the Don River. Novocherkassk is best known ...
, where he made contacts with the Supreme Church Authority of South-East Russia, under the leadership of Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky). He then once again left Russia for Constantinople through Odessa.
In 1921, by decree of the Temporary Higher Church Administration Abroad, he visited
Mount Athos and the Holy Land, in order to be acquainted with the state of Russian monasteries in those locations. He then participated in the first All-Diaspora Council of the ROCOR in
Sremski Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci ( sr-cyrl, Сремски Карловци, ; hu, Karlóca; tr, Karlofça) is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the banks of the Danu ...
, Serbia, as administrator of Russian parishes in the Constantinapolitan district.
In 1923, at the invitation of Patriarch
Meletius IV of Constantinople
Meletius (, secular name Emmanuel Metaxakis ; 21 September 1871 – 28 July 1935) was primate of the Church of Greece from 1918 to 1920 as Meletius III, after which he was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople as Meletius IV from 1921 to 1923 ...
, he participated in the so-called "Pan Orthodox Congress" in Constantinople. The Congress made decisions about adopting the
new calendar, allowing remarriage for clergy and married bishops, shortening services, eliminating fasts, and simplifying ecclesiastic robes. Archbishop Anastasius voiced his objections to such decisions, which he deemed uncanonical. Because the Ecumenical Patriarchate had forbidden the commemoration of Patriarch Tikhon at services in the Russian Orthodox parishes in the area and demanded that Archbishop Anastasius sever ties with the Synod Abroad of the ROCOR, he was forced to leave Constantinople for
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
via
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. In Bulgaria, he participated in the consecration of
St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and then departed for Serbia.
In 1924, he was appointed as administrator of the
Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem
The Russian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem (russian: Русская духовная миссия в Иерусалиме, , Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem) was founded in the 19th century to serve as a representation of ...
and departed for the
Holy Land, where he spent the next 10 years.
In 1935, Archbishop Anastasy participated in a council called by
Serbian Patriarch Varnava
Varnava Rosić ( sr-cyr, Варнава Росић; September 11, 1880 – July 23, 1937) was the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church from 1930 to 1937. He was born Petar Rosić in Pljevlja, belonging at that time to the Ottoman Empire, on A ...
with the aim of restoring unity in the Russian Orthodox Church abroad. The Council was attended by Metropolitan
Eulogius (Georgievsky)
Eulogius (russian: Евло́гий, born Vasily Semyonovich Georgiyevsky, russian: Васи́лий Семёнович Гео́ргиевский; April 10, 1868 – April 8, 1946 in Paris) was an Orthodox Christian bishop, who led elemen ...
, who headed the Western European Metropolia (the predecessor to the
Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe), Metropolitan
Theophilus (Pashkovsky)
Theophilus (Pashkovsky), born Feodor (Theodore) Nikolaevich Pashkovsky (russian: Фёдор Николаевич Пашковский) and commonly known as Metropolitan Theophilus (February 6, 1874, in Kyiv – June 27, 1950, in San Francisco), w ...
of San Francisco, who headed the North American Metropolia (the predecessor to the
Orthodox Church in America
The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is an Eastern Orthodox Christian church based in North America. The OCA is partly recognized as autocephalous and consists of more than 700 parishes, missions, communities, monasteries and institutions ...
), and Bishop
Dimitry (Voznesensky), who represented the Far East Metropolia. At this meeting, the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia was restored, albeit temporarily, and the bishops signed the Temporary Statues of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, which became the charter governing the ROCOR. At that time Archbishop Anastasy was elevated to the rank of metropolitan and appointed assistant to Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky).
After the death of Metropolitan Anthony in 1936, Metropolitan Anastasius was unanimously elected as the new First Hierarch of the
ROCOR
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (russian: Ру́сская Правосла́вная Це́рковь Заграни́цей, lit=Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, translit=Russkaya Pravoslavnaya Tserkov' Zagranitsey), also called Ru ...
. In 1938, Metropolitan Anastasy presided over the second All-Diaspora Council.
With the beginning of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, Metropolitan Anastasius found himself once again in the zone of hostilities as German forces bombed and then occupied
Belgrade in 1941. The invasion of the Soviet Union in June, 1941, prompted
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...
to reconsider state policies vis-a-vis the Russian Church. Stalin released bishops from prison and allowed churches to be reopened. With his permission, hierarchs in the Soviet Union elected Metropolitan
Sergius (Stragorodsky) as Patriarch of Moscow on September 8, 1943. On October 21, 1943, in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, Metropolitan Anastasius together with eight exile hierarchs denounced the election as uncanonical.
With the approach of the Soviet army on Belgrade in September, 1944, the Synod of Bishops relocated to Vienna and then, in the summer of 1945, to
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
, Germany. Starting in 1948, many Russian displaced persons began to relocate to the United States. This prompted many to call for the Synod to relocate across the Atlantic, especially given the events of the 1946 at the All-American Council of
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, where the North American Metropolia voted to break ties with the ROCOR. Given these circumstances, on November 23, 1950, Metropolitan Anastasy left Munich for New York. Immediately after his arrival in the United States, on November 25, 1950, he traveled to
Jordanville, New York
Jordanville is a hamlet in the town of Warren, Herkimer County, New York, United States. Jordanville is in the northwestern part of Warren, at the intersection of New York State Route 167 and County Route 155. The community was settled by E ...
, where he consecrated Holy Trinity Cathedral, the main church of the hamlet's
Holy Trinity Monastery. The consecration was followed by the first meeting of the ROCOR Council of Bishops on US soil with the participation of 11 hierarchs.
There also, and for the first (and only) time in the history of the ROCOR, Metropolitan Anastasy officiated at the consecration of the
holy chrism. Prior to this, the ROCOR had received chrism from the
Serbian Orthodox Church.
Once in the United States, Metropolitan Anastasius took up residence at the
New Kursk-Root Hermitage in
Mahopac, New York
Mahopac ( or ) is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in the town of Carmel in Putnam County, New York, United States. Also known as Lake Mahopac, the exurb is located some north of New York City, on US Route 6 at the county's southern centr ...
. Metropolitan Anastasius' tenure saw the blossoming of ROCOR in North America with the opening of about 100 new parishes and the consecration six new bishops:
Anthony (Sinkevich) of Los Angeles,
Averky (Taushev) of Syracuse and Holy Trinity,
Sava (Rayevsky) of Sydney,
Anthony (Medvedev) of San Francisco,
Sava (Sarachevich) of Edmonton, and
Nectarius (Kontzevich) of Seattle. Every summer, starting in 1951, Metropolitan Anastasy would undertake a trip across the United States to
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, where he would spend a significant part of the summer in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
. There, at his initiative, the Synod established the parish of All Saints of Russia in Burlingame, California.
Because of his ill health, Metropolitan Anastasius petitioned for the election of a successor in 1964. To this purpose, the Council of Bishops met on May 27, 1964, and elected Bishop
Philaret (Voznesensky)
Metropolitan Philaret (secular name Georgy Nikolayevich Voznesensky, russian: Георгий Николаевич Вознесенский; 22 March 1903 in Kursk, Russia – 21 November 1985 in New York City) was the First Hierarch of the ...
of Brisbane as the new First Hierarch of the ROCOR. After Metropolitan Anastasy retired the Synod awarded him the title of "beatitude" with the right of wearing two
panagia
Panagia ( el, Παναγία, fem. of , + , the ''All-Holy'', or the ''Most Holy''; pronounced ) (also transliterated Panaghia or Panajia), in Medieval and Modern Greek, is one of the titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern ...
s. The final act of his episcopal services saw the
glorification
Glorification may have several meanings in Christianity. From the Catholic canonization to the similar sainthood of the Eastern Orthodox Church to salvation in Christianity in Protestant beliefs, the glorification of the human condition can be a ...
of St.
John of Kronstadt
John of Kronstadt or John Iliytch Sergieff ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform russian: Иоа́нн Кроншта́дтский; 1829 – ) was a Russian Orthodox archpriest and a member of the Most Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Churc ...
by the same Council of Bishops. Soon afterward, Metropolitan Anastasy died on May 22, 1965. He was buried at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York.
Literature
* Архимандрит Аверкий (Таушев). Жизнь и деятельность Митрополита Анастасия — Мюнхен :
. и. 1948. — 10,
с.; 21 см.
* Священнослужения высокопреосвященнейшего митрополита Анастасия председателя Архирейского Синода Русской Православной церкви за границей : 50-летие, 23 апр. 1898 — 23 апр. 1948 /
. А-ий — Мюнхен :
.и. 1948. — 28 с.,
л. портр. : портр.; 21 см.
* Жизнь и деятельность Высокопреосвященнейшего митрополита Анастасия Председателя Архиерейского Синода Русской Православной Церкви за границей : (К 50-тилетию Архиер. служения). — Jordanville (N. Y.) : Holy Trinity monastery, 1956. — 48 с. : ил., портр.; 23 см.
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anastasius
1873 births
1965 deaths
People from Ternovsky District
People from Borisoglebsky Uyezd (Tambov Governorate)
Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church
First Hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia