Metropolitan Philaret (
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 Civil registry, registration of the birth an ...
Georgy Nikolayevich Voznesensky, russian: Георгий Николаевич Вознесенский; 22 March 1903 in
Kursk
Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
– 21 November 1985 in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
) was the First Hierarch of the
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
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 ...
from 1964 until his death on November 21, 1985.
He was ordained a deacon in 1930 and a priest in 1931. He served in Harbin (1931-1947), Tryokhrechye (1947-1949), then again in Harbin (1949-1962). In 1945-1962 he was a cleric of the
Moscow Patriarchate
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
. In 1962, he left China for Australia, joining the ROCOR. On May 26, 1963, he was ordained bishop of Brisbane, vicar of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand. On May 27, 1964, being a youngest bishop by ordination, he was elected the First Hierarch of the ROCOR. The years when Metropolitan Philaret headed the ROCOR became a period of making important decisions, including the anathematization of Lenin and the persecutors of the Orthodoxy (1970), the
Canonization of the Nicholas II family and the
New Martyrs (1981), the condemnation of
ecumenism
Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...
(1983). Russian Russian Church Abroad has noticeably distanced itself from
world Orthodoxy, got closer to the
Old Calendarists
Old Calendarists (Greek: ''palaioimerologitai'' or ''palaioimerologites''), also known as Old Feasters (''palaioeortologitai''), Genuine Orthodox Christians or True Orthodox Christians (GOC; ), are traditionalist groups of Eastern Orthodox Chri ...
, ordained
Lazar (Zhurbenko)
Lazar may refer to:
* Lazar (name), any of various persons with this name
* Lazar BVT, Serbian mine resistant, ambush-protected, armoured vehicle
* Lazar 2, Serbian armored vehicle
* Lazar 3, Serbian armored van
* Lazăr, a tributary of the river J ...
as a bishop for the Russian "catacombs".
Life
Georgy Voznesensky was born on March 22, 1903 in Kursk, Russia into a family of a
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
, Father Nicholas Voznesensky and his wife Lydia. In 1909, his family moved to
Blagoveschensk
Blagoveshchensk ( rus, Благове́щенск, p=bləgɐˈvʲeɕːɪnsk, meaning ''City of the Annunciation'') is a city and the administrative center of Amur Oblast, Russia. It is located at the confluence of the Amur and the Zeya Rivers, o ...
on the
Amur River
The Amur (russian: река́ Аму́р, ), or Heilong Jiang (, "Black Dragon River", ), is the world's List of longest rivers, tenth longest river, forming the border between the Russian Far East and Northeast China, Northeastern China (Inne ...
in Siberia.
In 1920, Georgy graduated from the local gymnasium. Later in 1920 in the midst of the
Russian Civil War
, date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...
, his family moved to
Harbin
Harbin (; mnc, , v=Halbin; ) is a sub-provincial city and the provincial capital and the largest city of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, as well as the second largest city by urban population after Shenyang and largest ...
,
Manchuria
Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer Manc ...
.
In 1921, his mother died, and his father accepted
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 in ...
as 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 ...
with the name Dimitri. Dimitri later became Archbishop of Hailar. He died in 1947 shortly after he repatriated to the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
.
Living in Harbin, Voznesensky entered the Russo-Chinese Polytechnic Institute from which he graduated in 1927 as an electromechanical engineer.
On 18 May 1930, 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 va ...
a
deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...
. On 4 January 1931, he was ordained 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 and E ...
. On 12 December 1931 he was tonsured a monk with the name Philaret. In 1931, he graduated from St. Vladimir University. Soon afterwards, he entered the Pastoral and Theological courses at the Institute of St. Prince Vladimir. The courses was launch by his father, Nicholas Voznesensky.
In 1933, he was elevated to
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 ...
and 1937 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") who ...
. During this period he was also a professor of
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
,
Pastoral Theology
Pastoral theology is the branch of practical theology concerned with the application of the study of religion in the context of regular church ministry. This approach to theology seeks to give practical expression to theology. Normally viewed as a ...
, and
Homiletics
In religious studies, homiletics ( grc, ὁμιλητικός ''homilētikós'', from ''homilos'', "assembled crowd, throng") is the application of the general principles of rhetoric to the specific art of public preaching. One who practices or ...
at St. Vladimir University.
In mid 1945, after the Communist Chinese and Soviet forces took over Manchuria at the end 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 opposin ...
, archimandrite Philaret remained with the Orthodox believers in Manchuria, but he firmly rejected all attempts to get him to accept a Soviet passport. He held passport burning bonfires after church services in defiance of the communist authorities. Further, he fearlessly denounced the atheistic communists. His overt position against the Soviets placed him in great personal danger. Their hatred of him resulted in an attempt to burn him alive in his
monastic
Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religion, religious way of life in which one renounces world (theology), worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic ...
cell. He escaped, but suffered severe burns.
Departure from China and serving in Australia
By that time, the Russian population was leaving China en masse, settling on the
West Coast of the United States
The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S ...
or
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. The Synod of Bishops of the ROCOR, aware of his irreconcilable position towards communism and the Soviet government, has been trying to rescue Archimandrite Philaret from China since 1953. It was only by 1962 that the Archimandrite Philaret could come to
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
. Despite his anti-communist views and reputation as a confessor, Archimandrite Philaret had to repent that he had been under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate since 1945, and also sign a "penitential statement" in the form established by Bishops' Council of the ROCOR. This statement was approved on March 29, 1962 at a meeting of the ROCOR Synod. He arrived to Sydney on 3 April 1962. From there archimandrite Philaret quickly traveled to
Brisbane, Australia
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
where many of his former flock in Manchuria had settled.
On October 22 of the same year, at the Council of Bishops of the ROCOR, where Archbishop Savva arrived, it was proposed to appoint Archimandrite Philaret to the Diocese of Brazil, but Archbishop Savva began to insist that Archimandrite Philaret be left in Australia and appointed vicar of the Australian diocese with the title of Bishop of
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
. Archbishop Savva reminded the bishops of his poor health and considered Archimandrite Philaret his possible successor, especially since many parishioners in Australia knew and respected Archimandrite Philaret, remembering his ministry in Harbin. The Council agreed to Savva's request and it was decided to ordain Archimandrite Philaret as vicar bishop for Australia.
On May 24, 1963, at the bishop's residence in Croydon, Archimandrite Philaret was nominated as a bishop. Nomination was performed by: Archbishop
Savva (Rayevsky), his vicar Bishop
Anthony (Medvedev) and hierarch of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...
bishop
Dionysius (Psiahas) of Nazianzus. Archimandrite Philaret was
consecrated
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
as Bishop of Brisbane,
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 pref ...
of the
Australian diocese by archbishop Savva and bishop Anthony of Melbourne on May 26, 1963. Bishop Dionysius attended, but did not concelebrate. As Archbishop Savva's health deteriorated more and more, Bishops Anthony and Philaret assumed part of his duties.
First Hierarch
In the early 1960s, a confrontation broke out in the ROCOR between supporters of Archbishop
John (Maximovich) and supporters of Archbishop
Nikon (Rklitsky)
(, ; ), also known just as Nikon, is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging products. The companies held by Nikon form the Nikon Group.
Nikon's products include cameras, camera ...
, who were considered as the most likely candidates for the First Hierarch position. The conflict was fueled by 2 different visions of the ROCOR mission: the supporters of St. John saw the ROCOR open to everyone and were ready in some cases to sacrifice the rite and calendar, while the representatives of the opposite party were inclined to see the ROCOR as a structure whose main task was to preserve Russian traditions. The views on church administration also differed: St. John and his supporters saw
sobornost
Sobornost ( rus, собо́рность, p=sɐˈbornəstʲ "spiritual community of many jointly-living people") is a Russian term whose usage is primarily attributed to the 19th-century Slavophile Russian writers Ivan Kireyevsky (1806-1856) ...
as a living, functioning basis of church existence, while the supporters of Archbishop Nikon actually acted as defenders of the pre-revolutionary Synodal system, which in the conditions of emigration meant the dictate of the office of the Holy Synod. On February 7, 1964, Metropolitan Anastasius announced his desire to retire due to his old age and state of health. The real purpose of such a departure was the desire to control the election of his successor, with the help of his authority to prevent shocks, conflicts and possible division within ROCOR.
On May 27, 1964, at the Bishops' Council, 90-year-old Metropolitan
Anastasius (Gribanovsky)
Metropolitan Anastasius (secular name Alexander Alexeyevich Gribanovsky, russian: Александр Алексеевич Грибановский; August 6, 1873 – May 22, 1965) was a hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church and the second Firs ...
retires. The votes cast for Archbishop John and for Archbishop Nikon were divided almost equally. None of the parties wanted to concede. To get out of a difficult situation, the First Hierarch advised the bishops to elect a "neutral" bishop who does not belong to any of the church parties and preferably a young one. The most suitable candidate was the youngest bishop by ordination — Bishop Philaret of Brisbane, whose candidacy was proposed by Archbishop John. In order to avoid a split, he stated that he would withdraw his candidacy if the majority voted for Bishop Philaret. Archbishops Nikon (Rklitsky) and Averky (Taushev) did the same. At the end of the voting, Metropolitan Anastasius was asked either to approve the election of Bishop Philaret, or to remain in office. The Metropolitan rejected the second proposal and agreed with the Council's decision to elect a new First Hierarch.
On May 31, 1964, in the Synodal Cathedral Church the Sign, his introduction took place. After the Liturgy with the participation of all hierarchs, a white hood was placed on Metropolitan Philaret, and Archbishop John (Maximovich) of San Francisco, as the oldest hierarch, handed him a baton, and a second panagia was placed on Metropolitan Anastasius.
Metropolitan Philaret served as the first hierarch of the ROCOR for twenty one years. He reposed on November 21, 1985 and was buried in the cemetery of the Church of Dormition.
In November 1998, the Synod decided to transfer Metropolitan Philaret's
relics
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
to a new vault under the
altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...
of Holy Trinity Cathedral at Jordanville, New York. When his tomb was opened, his relics were found to be
incorrupt
Incorruptibility is a Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox belief that divine intervention allows some human bodies (specifically saints and beati) to completely or partially avoid the normal process of decomposition after death as a sign of their ...
.
Canonizations
Metropolitan Philaret was canonized by the number of church groups which derive their succession from the ROCOR.
On May 19 – 20, 2001 Metropolitan Philaret was glorified by the
Holy Orthodox Church in North America
The Holy Orthodox Church in North America (HOCNA) is a True Orthodox
True Orthodox church, True Orthodox Christians, True Orthodoxy or Genuine Orthodoxy, often pejoratively "Zealotry", designates groups of traditionalist Eastern Orthodox churches ...
("Boston Synod").
On April 30, 2003 Metropolitan Philaret was glorified by the
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
The Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church (ROAC, russian: Российская православная автономная церковь, РПАЦ; until 1998 it was called the Russian Orthodox Free Church, ROFC, russian: Российская пр ...
.
On November 20, 2008 Metropolitan Philaret was glorified by the (independent) Russian Orthodox Church Abroad headed by metropolitan
Agathangel (Pashkovsky).
On October 23, 2009 Metropolitan Philaret was glorified at Holy Transfiguration Skete by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad headed by archbishop
Vladimir (Tselischev)
Vladimir may refer to:
Names
* Vladimir (name) for the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Macedonian, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak and Slovenian spellings of a Slavic name
* Uladzimir for the Belarusian version of the name
* Volodymyr for the Ukr ...
.
In 2012, the Eastern American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad headed by metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral) established a committee to explore the formal glorification of Metropolitan Philaret.
References
Sources
*
*
*
External links
Metropolitan St. Philaret of New York (+1985)by Archbishop Nafanail (Lvov)
by Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky)
interview of Metr Philaret given to the West German Catholic weekly ''Publik''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Philaret
1903 births
1985 deaths
People from Kursk
20th-century Eastern Orthodox archbishops
First Hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
White Russian emigrants to China
Eastern Orthodoxy in Australia