Metropolitan Jonah and the establishment of the autocephaly of the Russian Church

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Among the prominent figures of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Jonah (1390-1461) occupies a special place, who put a lot of effort into proclaiming its independence from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Having devoted his entire life to serving God and Russia, he entered Russian history as an example of true patriotism and religious asceticism.

Treachery of the Metropolitan of Kyiv

In 1439, an agreement was signed in Italy between representatives of the Greek Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic. It went down in history under the name of the Union of Florence. Formally pursuing the goal of uniting the two leading areas of Christianity, it actually served to further separate them, since it assumed, albeit with some reservations, the primacy of the Pope over the Orthodox Church.

In Russia, this document, signed by the majority of representatives of the Byzantine delegation, was perceived as a betrayal and a violation of the foundations of the Orthodox faith. When the main initiator of the conclusion of the union, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Russia Isidore, who by this time had become the papal legate(plenipotentiary representative), arrived in Moscow, was immediately arrested by order of Grand Duke Vasily II and imprisoned in the Miracle Monastery, from where he then fled to Lithuania.

Struggle for the Grand Duke's Throne

After his arrest and further escape, the place of the head of the Russian metropolis remained vacant due to a number of political and military upheavals that hit the state. In 1445, the Russian lands were engulfed in an internecine war for the grand prince's throne, which broke out between Vasily II and Dmitry Shemyaka, which Khan Ulug-Mohammed did not fail to take advantage of. Hordes of Tatars invaded the boundaries of the Moscow principality and, having defeated the Russian squad in the battle near Suzdal, captured the prince himself. As a result, the Grand Duke's throne became an easy prey for his rival.

The futile labors of the Bishop of Ryazan

To gain a foothold on the princely throne, Shemyaka needed the support of the clergy, and for this purpose he planned to make the Bishop of Ryazan, Jonah, the Metropolitan of Moscow. Such a choice was by no means a consequence of his personal sympathies, but the result of subtle calculation. The fact is that Bishop Jonah had previously tried twice to head the Russian Church, but failed both times.

In 1431, when Metropolitan Photius died, he claimed his place, but the Patriarch of Constantinople, who personally elevated him to the rank of metropolitan, gave preference to Bishop Gerasim of Smolensk. After 4 years, when, due to his death, the place of the primate of the Russian Church again became vacant, Jonah hurried to Constantinople forpatriarchal blessing, but too late. He was outstripped by the same Metropolitan Isidore, who, by signing the Union of Florence, vilely betrayed the interests of the Orthodox Church.

Election of the Moscow Metropolitan

Thus, by appointing Bishop Jonah Metropolitan of Moscow, Shemyaka could well count on his gratitude, and, consequently, on the support of the clergy he leads. Perhaps such a calculation would have been justified, but life has made its own adjustments. In 1446, Moscow was captured by supporters of Vasily II, who was overthrown by him, and soon he himself, redeemed for huge money from Tatar captivity, came to the capital. The ill-fated Shemyaka had no choice but to flee to save his life.

Nevertheless, the work he started was continued, and in December 1448, the church council that met in Moscow officially elected the Ryazan Bishop Jonah as the Russian metropolitan. The historical significance of the event was unusually high, since for the first time a candidate for this post was approved without the sanction of the Patriarch of Constantinople, under whose subordination the Russian Orthodox Church had until that time been. Thus, the election of Metropolitan Jonah can be considered as the establishment of her autocephaly, that is, administrative independence from Byzantium.

Researchers note that this step was largely due to the extremely negative attitude of the Russian clergy towards the leadership of the Byzantine church, who committed, by all accounts, a betrayal at the Florence Council. In doing so, it completely undermined its ownauthority and provoked the Russian episcopate to take previously unacceptable steps.

Inok from the Kostroma Territory

Given the role that Metropolitan Jonah played in the history of the Russian Church, we should dwell on his personality in more detail. The future bishop was born in the village of Odnoushevo, not far from Kostroma. The exact date has not been established, but it is known that he was born in the last decade of the XIV century. The name given to him at birth by his mother and father, the service landowner Fyodor, did not reach us either.

However, it is known for certain that the future Metropolitan Jonah from early childhood felt a desire to serve God and at the age of 12 took monastic vows in a small monastery near the city of Galich. After living there for several years, he moved to the Moscow Simonov Monastery, where he performed the obedience of a baker.

Prophecy of Saint Photius

This period of his life includes an episode described in his life, compiled shortly after Metropolitan Jonah, who died in 1461, was canonized. One day, the Moscow primate Photius (who also later acquired the crown of holiness) visited the Simonov Monastery, and looking into the bakery, he saw monk Jonah asleep from extreme fatigue.

The matter, in general, is worldly, but the high priest was amazed that in a dream the young monk held his right hand (right hand) in a blessing gesture. Seeing future events with his inner eyes, the metropolitan turned to the monks accompanying him and declared publicly that the Lord had prepared the young man to becomegreat saint and primate of the Russian Church.

It is difficult to talk today about how his ministry developed in subsequent years and the process of spiritual growth proceeded, since information about his later life dates back to 1431, when the monk, who so attracted the attention of St. Photius, was made a bishop Ryazan and Murom. So the prediction given in relation to his began to come true.

Threat of losing the western part of the metropolis

However, let's go back to the day when Metropolitan Jonah was elected head of the Russian Orthodox Church (1448). Despite all the historical expediency of what happened, the position of the newly elected primate was very difficult. The problem was that only bishops representing the northeastern regions of Russia took part in the work of the church council, while representatives of the Lithuanian Orthodox Church were not invited, since most of them supported the Union of Florence.

The situation that developed in connection with this could have very negative consequences, as it provoked the emergence of separatist sentiments in the west of the metropolis. Fears that the Orthodox population of Lithuania, offended by the neglect shown towards their episcopate, would wish to break away from Moscow and completely surrender to the power of the Roman pontiff, were well founded. In such a case, the secret and open enemies of the newly elected Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, Jonah, could well lay all the responsibility for what happened on him.

Auspiciouscoincidence

Fortunately, soon the political situation developed in such a way that ruled out the possibility of such a negative scenario. First of all, Metropolitan Jonah played into the hands of the fact that the attempts of Metropolitan Isidore, who fled to Lithuania, ended in failure to remove the western dioceses from the control of the Moscow Metropolis and persuade their population to accept the union. He was prevented from doing so by the Polish King Casimir IV, who, by coincidence, broke off relations with Pope Eugene I during this period.

When he died in 1447, Pope Nicholas V became head of the Catholic Church, and King Casimir IV restored relations with Rome. However, even at this stop, the fugitive Isidore could not realize his insidious plans, since the idea of the union found fierce opponents in the person of representatives of the Polish clergy.

Support for the Polish king

For this reason, and perhaps because of some political considerations, in Krakow they decided to support Metropolitan Jonah and the establishment of the autocephaly of the Russian Church. In 1451, Casimir IV issued a personal letter in which he officially recognized the legitimacy of the decisions of the Moscow Church Council of 1448, and also confirmed the rights of the newly elected primate to all temple buildings and other property of the Russian Orthodox Church located within the Polish state.

Grand Duke's message

Isidor still tried to intrigue as best he could and even turned to the Kyiv prince Alexander for military help, but no onetook it seriously. It was much more important for Metropolitan Jonah to achieve his recognition by Constantinople, since the attitude of the entire Orthodox world towards him largely depended on this. The initiative in resolving this issue was taken by the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily II.

In 1452, he sent a message to the Byzantine emperor Constantine XI, in which he outlined in great detail the reasons that prompted the Russian bishops to elect a metropolitan, bypassing the then-existing tradition. In particular, he wrote that it was “not impudence” that made them neglect the blessing of the Patriarch of Constantinople, but only the extraordinary circumstances prevailing at that time. In conclusion, Vasily II expressed his desire to continue to maintain close Eucharistic (liturgical) communion with the Byzantine Church for the sake of the triumph of Orthodoxy.

In the context of new historical realities

It is important to note that Metropolitan Jonah did not proclaim autocephaly. Moreover, Prince Vasily II, a very skillful person in diplomacy, handled things in such a way that Constantinople did not doubt his intention to revive the old tradition of electing metropolitans pleasing to their patriarch. All this helped to avoid then unnecessary complications.

When in 1453 the Byzantine capital was captured by the troops of the Turkish Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, the new Patriarch of Constantinople, Gennady II, elected with his permission, was forced to moderate his claims to spiritual leadership, and the unproclaimed autocephaly of the Russian Church was established by the very course of historical events. Ownit received legal justification in 1459, when the next Church Council decided that only the consent of the Moscow prince was necessary to elect the primate.

Glorification among the saints

Metropolitan Jonah completed his earthly journey on March 31 (April 12), 1461. The Life says that immediately after his blessed Assumption, numerous healings of the sick began to take place at the tomb, as well as other miracles. When, ten years later, it was decided to rebury the remains of the Metropolitan in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, they, taken from the ground, did not bear any traces of decay. This undeniably testified to God's grace sent down to the deceased.

In 1547, by the decision of the next Council of the Russian Church, Metropolitan Jonah was canonized. The day of commemoration was May 27 - the anniversary of the transfer of his incorruptible relics under the vaults of the Assumption Cathedral. Today, the memory of St. Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia is also celebrated on March 31, June 15 and October 5 according to the new style. For his contribution to the formation of Russian Orthodoxy, he is recognized as one of the most honored religious figures in Russia.