Metropolitan Vitaly Ustinov
Encyclopedia
Metropolitan Vitaly was the first Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
from 1985 until his retirement in 2001.
established by General Pyotr Wrangel. At the end of the year the corps, numbering 650 cadets, moved to Istanbul
, and thence to Yugoslavia
. In 1923, his mother recalled him to Istanbul, after which she moved to Paris and placed him in the French college of Saint Louis in the city of Le Маns. After completing his studies, Rostislav lived with mother in Cannes
. In 1934, he was called to serve in the army and was enlisted in the Ninth Cuirassier
(cavalry) Regiment. Having served up to the grade of foreman, he refused to continue military career as an officer, deciding to leave the world and to enter a monastery. Four years later, he arrived in the Monastery of Saint Job in Ladomirova
in the Carpathian mountains
(at the time, the territory of Czechoslovakia
). In 1939, Rostislav Ustinov was professed a monk
with the name of Vitaly, and received the Little Schema a year later.
The Second World War forced the monastic brotherhood to leave Ladomirova
and to evacuate to Germany. Vitaly appeared in Berlin where, together with archimandrite Nafanail (L'vov), he engaged in wide missionary activity amongst the Russian refugees and prisoners of war. Nafanail and Vitaly then relocated to Hamburg
where they concentrated on the work of preventing thousands of refugees from being compulsorily repatriated to the USSR. In Hamburg, hegumen
Vitaly began active church life at Camp Fischbeck. In the barrack-type church, the daily circle of divine services were conducted. Simultaneously, Vitaly began a small monastic brotherhood, and established a printing house which began to print badly needed anthologies from the church service-books for all the camp churches of Germany. From 1947 to 1951, Vitaly was Prior of the London parish, where Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh
serially served in one church. However, not recognizing the soviet bishop as a true servant of God, bishop Vitaly called Antony "the servant of satan."
, vicar of the Brazilian diocese. There the young bishop opened a printing house and arranged a small shelter for boys who were trained as acolytes for the cycle of divine services. In 1955, Bishop Vitaly with his brotherhood was transferred to Edmonton
, Canada
. 75 miles from the city, he erected the Dormition monastery.
He was appointed ruling bishop of Montreal and Canada, Bishop Vitaly erected a monastery (skete) in Mansonville, Quebec. In Montreal
, Bishop Vitaly built and magnificently equipped a large cathedral. The fine house of his(its) monastic farmstead and a residence is near to a cathedral. In this farmstead, a printing house operated, publishing service-books and the periodical "The Orthodox Bulletin". The death of Metropolitan Filaret in 1985 necessitated the election of a new Metropolitan. On 22 January 1986, Vitaly was elected Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York, also retaining management of the Canadian diocese.
Citing his declining health in 2001 Metropolitan Vitaly announced that he was going to retire the same year. During the council of Bishops of 2001, Metropolitan Vitaly announced his resignation. Immediately afterwards, he left to his residence at the Holy Transfiguration monastery in Mansonville
, accompanied by his supporters.
After the election of the New First Hierarch of ROCOR, Metropolitan Laurus
, Metropolitan Vitaly released an epistle denouncing the latest ROCOR Synod, asserting that he continued to be ROCOR's primate. A number of ROCOR clergy and parishioners who were against ROCOR's union with the Moscow Patriarchate formed a new church administration around Metropolitan Vitaly, renaming themselves as the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile (referred to as ROCOR-Vitaly in common parlance).
The episcopate of ROCOR asserted that Metropolitan Vitaly was being held hostage by schismatics who took advantage of his failing health and used his name to produce a schism. The episcopate made numerous attempts at contacting Metropolitan Vitaly, but were unable to get through to him personally. Metropolitan Vitaly reposed on the 25th of September, 2006. He was buried in his Mansonville skete by the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile. ROCOR bishops were not permitted to be present, consequently they served his funeral separately.
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia , also called the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, ROCA, or ROCOR) is a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church....
from 1985 until his retirement in 2001.
Biography
Rostislav Petrovich Ustinov was born to naval officer Peter Ustinov and Lydia Andreevna (née Stopchanskaya), daughter of the General of Police in the Caucasus. In 1920, during the Civil War in Russia, Rostislav Ustinov moved with his family to Crimea. There he enlisted into a cadet corps military schoolCadet Corps (Russia)
The Cadet Corps is an admissions-based all boys military academy which prepared boys to become commissioned officers. Boys between the ages of 8 and 15 were enrolled. It was founded in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire in 1731 by Tsarina Anne. The term of education was seven years...
established by General Pyotr Wrangel. At the end of the year the corps, numbering 650 cadets, moved to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, and thence to Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. In 1923, his mother recalled him to Istanbul, after which she moved to Paris and placed him in the French college of Saint Louis in the city of Le Маns. After completing his studies, Rostislav lived with mother in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
. In 1934, he was called to serve in the army and was enlisted in the Ninth Cuirassier
Cuirassier
Cuirassiers were mounted cavalry soldiers equipped with armour and firearms, first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. They were the successors of the medieval armoured knights...
(cavalry) Regiment. Having served up to the grade of foreman, he refused to continue military career as an officer, deciding to leave the world and to enter a monastery. Four years later, he arrived in the Monastery of Saint Job in Ladomirova
Ladomírová
Ladomirová is a village and municipality in Svidník District in the Prešov Region of north-eastern Slovakia.A Wooden Greek Orthodox Church built in 1742 is part of the Carpathian Wooden Churches UNESCO World Heritage Site. In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1414. The...
in the Carpathian mountains
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
(at the time, the territory of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
). In 1939, Rostislav Ustinov was professed a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
with the name of Vitaly, and received the Little Schema a year later.
The Second World War forced the monastic brotherhood to leave Ladomirova
Ladomírová
Ladomirová is a village and municipality in Svidník District in the Prešov Region of north-eastern Slovakia.A Wooden Greek Orthodox Church built in 1742 is part of the Carpathian Wooden Churches UNESCO World Heritage Site. In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1414. The...
and to evacuate to Germany. Vitaly appeared in Berlin where, together with archimandrite Nafanail (L'vov), he engaged in wide missionary activity amongst the Russian refugees and prisoners of war. Nafanail and Vitaly then relocated to Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
where they concentrated on the work of preventing thousands of refugees from being compulsorily repatriated to the USSR. In Hamburg, hegumen
Hegumen
Hegumen, hegumenos, igumen, or ihumen is the title for the head of a monastery of the Eastern Orthodox Church or Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the one of abbot. The head of a convent of nuns is called hegumenia or ihumenia . The term means "the one who is in charge", "the leader" in...
Vitaly began active church life at Camp Fischbeck. In the barrack-type church, the daily circle of divine services were conducted. Simultaneously, Vitaly began a small monastic brotherhood, and established a printing house which began to print badly needed anthologies from the church service-books for all the camp churches of Germany. From 1947 to 1951, Vitaly was Prior of the London parish, where Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh
Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh
Antony of Sourozh was best known as a writer and broadcaster on prayer and the Christian life. He was a monk and Metropolitan bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church...
serially served in one church. However, not recognizing the soviet bishop as a true servant of God, bishop Vitaly called Antony "the servant of satan."
Life as bishop
On 12 July 1951, on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Vitaly was consecrated Bishop of Sao PauloSão Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, vicar of the Brazilian diocese. There the young bishop opened a printing house and arranged a small shelter for boys who were trained as acolytes for the cycle of divine services. In 1955, Bishop Vitaly with his brotherhood was transferred to Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. 75 miles from the city, he erected the Dormition monastery.
He was appointed ruling bishop of Montreal and Canada, Bishop Vitaly erected a monastery (skete) in Mansonville, Quebec. In Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Bishop Vitaly built and magnificently equipped a large cathedral. The fine house of his(its) monastic farmstead and a residence is near to a cathedral. In this farmstead, a printing house operated, publishing service-books and the periodical "The Orthodox Bulletin". The death of Metropolitan Filaret in 1985 necessitated the election of a new Metropolitan. On 22 January 1986, Vitaly was elected Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York, also retaining management of the Canadian diocese.
Citing his declining health in 2001 Metropolitan Vitaly announced that he was going to retire the same year. During the council of Bishops of 2001, Metropolitan Vitaly announced his resignation. Immediately afterwards, he left to his residence at the Holy Transfiguration monastery in Mansonville
Potton, Quebec
Potton is a township of 1,700 people, part of the Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec, 125km southeast of Montreal and next to the United States border, north of North Troy, Vermont. The main village in the township is Mansonville...
, accompanied by his supporters.
After the election of the New First Hierarch of ROCOR, Metropolitan Laurus
Metropolitan Laurus
Metropolitan Laurus of New York was First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, the fifth cleric to hold that position...
, Metropolitan Vitaly released an epistle denouncing the latest ROCOR Synod, asserting that he continued to be ROCOR's primate. A number of ROCOR clergy and parishioners who were against ROCOR's union with the Moscow Patriarchate formed a new church administration around Metropolitan Vitaly, renaming themselves as the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile (referred to as ROCOR-Vitaly in common parlance).
The episcopate of ROCOR asserted that Metropolitan Vitaly was being held hostage by schismatics who took advantage of his failing health and used his name to produce a schism. The episcopate made numerous attempts at contacting Metropolitan Vitaly, but were unable to get through to him personally. Metropolitan Vitaly reposed on the 25th of September, 2006. He was buried in his Mansonville skete by the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile. ROCOR bishops were not permitted to be present, consequently they served his funeral separately.