Archbishop Kyrill (russian: Архиепископ Кирилл, secular name Boris Mikhailovich Dmitriyev or Dmitrieff, russian: Борис Михайлович Дмитриев; born 24 November 1954), is the ruling

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

of the Western American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR).

Biography

He was born on November 24, 1954 in

San Francisco, California 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 ...

to ethnic Russian immigrant parents. At the age of 18, he 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 ...

reader A reader is a person who reads. It may also refer to: Computing and technology * Adobe Reader (now Adobe Acrobat), a PDF reader * Bible Reader for Palm, a discontinued PDA application * A card reader, for extracting data from various forms of ...

by Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev). In 1976 he graduated from University with a degree in theology. He then attended Saint Vladimir's Seminary, where he received his master's degree. In 1981 he was tonsured 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 ...

and

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 ...

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 then 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 ...

by Metropolitan

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 ...

. The same year he was appointed to the Russian Ecclesiastic Mission in Jerusalem as a teacher of Russian and English at the

Bethany Bethany ( grc-gre, Βηθανία,Murphy-O'Connor, 2008, p152/ref> Syriac: ܒܝܬ ܥܢܝܐ ''Bēṯ ʿAnyā'') or what is locally known as Al-Eizariya or al-Azariya ( ar, العيزرية, " laceof Lazarus"), is a Palestinian town in the West B ...

School. In 1982 he was transferred to the Western American

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...

. In 1987, he was appointed

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of the Ss Cyrill and Methodius Russian Church school at the Joy of all Who Sorrow Cathedral in San Francisco and was elevated to the rank of

hegumen Hegumen, hegumenos, or igumen ( el, ἡγούμενος, trans. ), is the title for the head of a monastery in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the title of abbot. The head of a convent of nuns is called a hegumenia ...

. June 7, 1992 he was consecrated

of Seattle,

Vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

of the Western American Diocese. After the repose of Archbishop Anthony in 2000, he was appointed ruling hierarch of the Western American Diocese. In December 2003 he was elevated to the rank of archbishop. In May 2004 he participated in the first official delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia to Russia, which opened the process of reconciliation with the Moscow Patriarchate. On May 19, 2006, by the decision of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, in connection with the retirement of Bishop

Ambrose (Cantacuzène) Bishop Ambrose (french: link=no, Evêque Аmbroіse, secular name Pierre Cantacuzène or Pyotr Petrovich Kantakuzen, russian: link=no, Пётр Петрович Кантакузен; 16 September 1947, Vevey, Switzerland – 20 July 2009, Vevey, ...

, he was appointed a member of the Commission for Negotiations with the Moscow Patriarchate.

Honours

House of Romanov The House of Romanov (also transcribed Romanoff; rus, Романовы, Románovy, rɐˈmanəvɨ) was the reigning dynasty, imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after the Tsarina, Anastacia of Russia, Anastasi ...

: Knight Grand Cordon of the Imperial Order of Saint Anna (14 May 2013)http://www.imperialhouse.ru/media/k2/items/cache/99a55ddf297fe1c0e5cd25b32402e97a_XL.jpg *

: Recipient of the 400th Anniversary Medal of the House of Romanov (14 May 2013)

References

External links

Official website of the Diocese of San Francisco and Western America

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kyrill 21st-century Eastern Orthodox archbishops American people of Russian descent 1954 births Living people Eastern Orthodox bishops in the United States Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class Russian Orthodox Christians from the United States