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Anthony (Khrapovitsky) of Kiev

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In 1907, Bishop Anthony headed a committee examining the [[Kiev Theological Academy]]. The committee's findings were unpopular with academy staff, leading to Bishop Anthony's publication of "The Truth about the Kiev Theological Academy" and the resignation of its rector, Bishop [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvesky)]], the future head of the [[Orthodox Church in America|American Metropolia]]. Many believe that this incident led to the subsequent antagonism among the emigré bishops, which resulted in the [[ROCOR and OCA|split]] between the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] (ROCOR) and the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA).
In 1906-1907, Bishop Anthony was member of the State Council and in 1912-1916 of the [[Holy Synod]]. He worked on the preparation for a Local Council of the Russian Church; he responded to the 1905 questionnaire of Russian bishops by calling for the restoration of the patriarchy and the reform of theological education and other reforms in Church administration.
By the [[ukaz|ukase]] of the Synod on [[May 19]], 1914, Bishop Anthony was appointed to the Kharkiv and Aktyr cathedra. After the February 1917 Revolution, he was forced to ask for retirement because of poor relations with the new authorities in his area and the discontent of certain members of his [[clergy]]. On [[May 1]], 1917, he was retired and assigned to the [[Valaam Monastery]], where he wrote his book "The Doctrine of Redemption," which later caused many arguments among Orthodox theologians. In August of 1917 he was again elected Archbishop of Kharkiv and Akhtyr by the Diocesan council of Kharkiv.
In December 1918, together with Archbishop Eulogius of Volyn, he was arrested by the Symon Petliura government. The two hierarchs were held at the [[Uniate]] [[monastery]] in Buchacha. In the spring of 1919, when Buchacha was taken by Polish forces, they were transferred to the vicinity of Krakow. In the summer of 1919 they were freed through the work of the French diplomatic mission. Metropolitan Anthony lived in L'viv. In September 1919, he left for Kuban, then returned to Kiev, which was held by White forces of General Denikin. After Kiev was retaken by Bolsheviks in November, he left for Yekaterinodar, where he was elected as president of the Temporary Higher Church Authority of South-East Russia. After the defeat of the Denikin army, he left for Greece, where he received the support of Archbishop [[Meletius IV (Metaxakis) of Constantinople|Meletius (Metaxakis)]] of Athens. In September 1920, he returned to Crimea, which was controlled by General Wrangel. After the latter's defeat in November, he left Russia for the last time.
Between November 1920 and February 1921, Metropolitan Anthony was in [[Constantinople]]. At first he decided that the Temporary Authority should be abolished and pastoral care for displaced Russians handed over to other local churches. However, after learning of the decision of General Wrangel to retain his army for further battle with the Bolsheviks, Metropolitan Anthony decided to keep the Church organization abroad. The Temporary Authority met on [[November 19]], 1920, aboard the ship "Great Prince Alexader Mikhailovich," presided over by Metropolitan Anthony. He and Bishop [[Benjamin (FedchenkoFedchenkov) of the Aleutians|Benjamin (Fedchenkov)]] were appointed to examine the canonicity of the organization. On [[December 2]], 1920, they received permission from Metropolitan Dorotheos of Prussia, [[Locum Tenens]] of the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate]], to establish "for the purpose of the service of the population ... and to oversee the ecclesiastic life of Russian colonies in Orthodox countries a temporary committee (epitropia) under the authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate"; the committee was called the Temporary Higher Church Administration Abroad (THCAA). In February 1921, at the invitation of [[Patriarch]] Dimitry of Serbia, the THCAA relocated to Serbia, where, on [[August 31]], 1921, the Council of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church decided to take the organization under its protection as an independent jurisdiction for displaced Russians.
With the agreement of Patriarch Dimitry, the "General assembly of representatives of the Russian Church abroad" took place between [[November 21]] and December 2, 1921, in Sremsky Karlovtsi, Serbia. It was later renamed the [[First All-Diaspora Council]] and was presided over by Metropolitan Anthony. The Council established the "Supreme Ecclesiastic Administration Abroad" (SEAA), composed of a patriarchal Locum Tenens, a Synod of Bishops, and a Church Council. The Council decided to appoint Metropolitan Anthony the Locum Tenens, but he declined to accept the position without permission from Moscow and instead called himself the President of the SEAA. However, an Ukase of Patriarch St. Tikhon of Moscow, dated [[May 5]], 1922, abolished the SEAA and declared the political decisions of the Karlovtsy Council as not reflecting the postion of the Russian Church. Meeting in Sremsky Karlovtsy on [[September 2]], 1922, the Council of Bishops agreed to abolish the SEAA, in its place forming the Temporary Holy Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia with Metropolitan Anthony as its head by virtue of seniority. The Synod exercised direct authority over Russian [[parish]]es in the Balkans, the Middle East, and the Far East. In North America, however, a conflict erupted with those who did not recognize the authority of the Synod, led by Metropolitan [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York|Platon (Rozhdestvensky)]]; this group formed the American Metropolia, the predecessor to the OCA. Likewise, in Western Europe, Metropolitan [[Eulogius (Georgievsky) of Paris|Eulogius (Georgievsky)]] also did not recognize anything more than "a moral authority" of the Synod. Metropolitan Eulogius later broke off and joined the Ecumenical Patriarchate, forming the [[Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe]], known colloquially as the ''Rue Daru''.
Metropolitan Anthony presided over another meeting of the Council of Bishops of ROCOR in June 1926. The bishops decided to accept Metropolitan [[Peter (Polyansky) of Krutitsa]] as the lawful Locum Tenens following the repose of St. Tikhon. The Council once again called for Metropolitans Platon and Eulogius to accept its [[jurisdiction]].
On [[September 9]], 1927, the Council of Bishops of the ROCOR, presided over by Metropolitan Anthony, decreed a break of communion with ecclesiastic authorities in Moscow after categorically rejecting a demand by Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) of Nizhny Novgorod, who was acting as Locum Tenens, to declare loyalty to the Soviet authorities. Metropolitan Sergius responded in 1928 by decreeing that Metropolitan Eulogius had canonical authority in Western Europe and that all actions of the Karlovtsy Synod were uncanonical. Then, on [[June 22]], 1934, Metropolitan Sergius and his Synod passed judgment on Metropolitan Anthony and his Synod, declaring them to be under [[suspension]]. Metropolitan Anthony refused to recognize this decision, claiming that it was made under political pressure from Soviet authorities and that Metropolitan Sergius had illegally usurped the position of Locum Tenens. In this, he received the support of the Patriarch [[Varnava (Rosic) of Serbia|Varnava of Serbia]], who continued to maintain communion with the ROCOR Synod.
During the course of his time abroad, Metropolitan Anthony continued to retain the title of Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia, an action recognized by Metropolitan Peter (Polyansky) of Krutitsa, who refused pressure from Soviet authorities to fill the vacant Kiev cathedra. In March 1931, the Synod of Bishops awarded him the title of "Beatitude." In August 1932, Metropolitan Anthony proposed the election of a deputy president. The Bishops elected Archbishop [[Anastasy (Gribanovsky) of Kishinev]], who was elevated to the rank of metropolitan in 1935. In 1935, the Council of Bishops of ROCOR, under the leadership of Metropolitan Anthony, condemned as heretical the teaching of Archpriest [[Sergius Bulgakov]] about Sophia, the [[Holy Wisdom |Wisdom]] of God. This furthered the antagonism between ROCOR and the Western European Exarchate, where Father Sergius worked at the [[St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute (Paris, France)]].
Metropolitan Anthony reposed on [[August 10]], 1936, in Sremsky Karlovtsi, Serbia, and was buried in Belgrade at the Iveron Chapel in the Russian cemetery. Patriarch Varnava officiated at the [[Divine Liturgy]], Panikhida and burial services.
== Theological views ==
Metropolitan Anthony was a remarkable writer, author of many works in apologetics, dogmatic, pastoral and moral theology, hermeneutics, canon law and other disciplines. His ecclesiological opinions were influenced by A. S. [[Alexei Stepanovich Khomiakov|Khomiakov]]; from Khomiakov's view of the dogma of One Church, Metropolitan Anthony concluded that all [[heterodox]] churches were not part of the Church. He allowed the reception of converts through [[confession]] and [[chrismation]] strictly on the grounds of [[economy]]. Yet he taught that Orthodox bishops could receive Anglican clergy of that time merely by penance [http://westernorthodox.blogspot.com/2007/01/why-anglicans-could-have-been-received.html "in existing orders."]
He was opposed to Latin influence on the Church, and felt the Greater and Lesser Catechisms of the seventeenth century are "only by a misapprehension are called Orthodox."
{{succession|
before=?|
title=Archbishop of Khar'kov Kharkov and Aktyr|
years=1914-1918|
after=?}}
[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:19th-20th-century bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Cheboksary]]
[[Category:Bishops of Chistopol]]
[[Category:Bishops of Ufa]]
[[Category:Bishops of Volyn]]
[[Category:Bishops of Kharkov]]
[[Category:Bishops of Kiev]]
[[Category:First Hierarchs of the ROCOR]]
[[Category:Modern Writers]]
[[Category:St. Petersburg Academy Graduates]]
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