Metropolitan Anastassy of Kazan (in the world Alexander Mikhailovich Metkin). Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church

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

Metropolitan Anastassy lived a bright and eventful life, for more than a quarter of a century he has been continuously in the service of God and the Orthodox Church. Despite a number of scandals and incidents that shook his position among the clergy and Orthodox laity, one should not forget about the large number of good deeds that he did to strengthen the Christian faith and the church during his life.

Biography

The future Metropolitan Anastassy of Kazan was born on August 27, 1944. Since his parents were extremely pious people, the boy's fate was predetermined from birth.

Immediately after graduation, he makes his first attempt to enter the Moscow Theological Seminary, but does not enter and instead decides to study at a construction school.

Despite this, from his dream hedid not refuse and combined the main work at the plant with the service in the Assumption Church in the rank of sexton.

In 1967, he arrived in Kazan, where the then Archbishop of Kazan and Mari Mikhail appointed him to the post of psalmist at St. Nicholas Cathedral. Seeing that the young man is working tirelessly, the archbishop helps him move up the career ladder and in 1968 ordained him to the rank of deacon, and a few years later, in 1972, ordained him to the presbyter.

As he intended in his youth, he enters the Moscow Theological Seminary and graduates without difficulty.

Begin active promotion

In September 1976, under the leadership of the Bishop of Kazan and Mari Panteleimon, he took monastic vows and was named Anastasy, receiving the rank of hegumen.

In the same year, he was appointed to the same Nikolsky Cathedral, where he served as a psalmist, as secretary of the diocesan administration.

In 1983, Anastasy completed his studies at the Moscow Theological Academy, after which he was promoted to the rank of archimandrite. From June 6 to June 9, 1988, Anastasy was an active participant in the Memorial Council, held in connection with the 1000th anniversary Baptism of Russia.

Bishoping

At the end of 1988, at a meeting of the Holy Synod, a decree was issued, from which it follows that he was appointed Bishop of Kazan and Mari, in exchange for Bishop Panteleimon, who had retired of his own free will, the same one who had previously been the main associate of Anastasius' promotion in the service.

In 1990, Anastasy took part in the Local Council, and three years later, due to the fact that some territories were allocated from the Kazan diocese, he became known as the Bishop of Kazan and Tatarstan.

However, he did not stay long in this rank and already on February 25, 1996 he became an archbishop, taking a year later also the post of rector of the Kazan Theological School. Surprisingly, exactly one year later the school receives the status of a seminary, and the influence of the metropolitan continues to grow.

The Holy Synod, following the achievements of the newly elected rector, on July 16, 2005, decided to include him in the group developing a document concerning the strengthening of the positions of the Orthodox Church.

In the spring of 2012, in connection with another decision of the Holy Synod, he received the position of archimandrite in several monasteries.

In 2012, Anastasy becomes the head of the newly formed Tatarstan Metropolis and temporarily assumes the duties of the manager of the Chistopol diocese.

Despite his far from small rank, the pinnacle of his Orthodox career was his elevation to the rank of metropolitan on July 18, 2012. Despite the fact that after the scandal that broke out within the walls of the seminary subordinate to him, the first rumors appeared among believers that Metropolitan Anastassy of Kazan was retiring, they were not confirmed, because already on July 13, 2015 he was appointed to the post of Metropolitan of Simbirsk and Novospassky and, accordingly, hebecomes the head of the Simbirsk Metropolis.

Start of failures

Public attention to Metropolitan Anastassy appeared from the moment when the first scandal thundered. It all started with a series of arson attacks on Orthodox churches in Tatarstan. Despite the fact that they were suspected of being a group of radical Islamists, the perpetrators were never found.

Orthodox people were stunned by the fact that Metropolitan Anastassy of Kazan and Tatarstan is not taking any decisive action to identify the perpetrators. Even despite the actions taken by Metropolitan Anastassy to identify the arsonists, the Kazan diocese nevertheless decided to make cautious criticism of him.. This time, he directly touched on internal problems in the leadership of the metropolis itself.

Breaking Scandal

The scandal that struck both the Orthodox laity and the clergy broke out in 2013, when several students of the seminary filed a complaint against the depraved actions of hegumen Kirill Iyukhin, who holds the post of vice-rector for educational work under Anastasia. A special commission was urgently sent to Kazan from Moscow in order to check how the situation really is. Arriving at the seminary, the inspectors were faced with the fact that there were many more victims, and most of the students who were silent were aware of the peculiar orders adopted within its walls.for fear of being expelled in the last years of study.

After a series of scandalous publications, a wave swept in the press, and the decision made by the commission, hegumen Kirill Ilyukhin was removed from his post and dismissed from his post as press secretary. At the same time, Metropolitan Anastassy of Kazan was removed from the post of rector of the seminary. The Metropolitan considered it proper to have a conversation with the students, complaining that they slandered the abbot in vain. However, the scandal broke out in full force only after it received massive publicity due to the fact that the recording of this speech was published on the blog of Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev.

The fate of seminarians

In turn, the fate of the seminarians who decided to openly sign a complaint against Abbot Ilyukhin was a foregone conclusion. For example, Stepanov Roman was expelled from the seminary, who initiated the writing of a complaint to Moscow and did not study very well.

Despite such a serious accusation, Ilyukhin himself practically did not suffer from it. Now he serves in the diocese of Tver, as an adviser to the local bishop, Metropolitan Viktor.

However, credit should be given to the local law enforcement agencies, who began to check on the fact of the crimes committed. Oddly enough, the suspect was no longer in Tver, he hastily left for Kazakhstan and even decided to take Kazakh citizenship.

Transfer to Ulyanovsk

Despite the good deeds that Metropolitan Anastassy of Kazan did, the scandalspoiled his impeccable reputation. Despite his transfer (downgraded) to Ulyanovsk, for services to people and the church during the farewell from Kazan, the head of Tatarstan awarded him the highest order of the republic.

However, the Metropolitan's series of failures did not stop there. Already on July 20, when Metropolitan Anastassy of Kazan (Simbirsk) arrived in Ulyanovsk, he was greeted by two priests surrounded by laity, chanting: “Anaxios!” (“Unworthy!”) Supporters of Anastassy's innocence immediately announced that the rally was organized by the enemies of the metropolitan. At the same time, even Patriarch Kirill condemned such a manifestation of discontent.

Despite the fact that the rally went very decently, one incident strengthened the hostile attitude of the people towards the metropolitan. Entering the temple, they repeated their “Anaxios!” for several minutes. Unable to calm them down with words, one venerable archpriest struck an Orthodox laywoman in the face. This was the last straw for the protesters, who left the temple a few minutes later, in order not to return to it again while Metropolitan Anastassy of Kazan (Simbirsk) held this post. After these events, the metropolitan delivered his sermon in an almost empty church, which could not but affect his already shattered reputation.

Good deeds

Despite the scandals in which the then Metropolitan Anastassy of Kazan was involved, reviews of his Orthodox deeds will long remain in the memory of believers. His church activity in Kazan lasted for about 25years, during which he managed to do many good deeds.

When he began the revival of many monasteries, including the Raifa monastery, where the Kazan miraculous icon of the Mother of God is now kept. In addition, it was Metropolitan Anastassy of Kazan (Simbirsk) who was the founder of the theological seminary, which cannot be ignored.

Conclusion

It is noteworthy that the First Church, which was returned by the then Metropolitan Anastassy of Kazan and Tatarstan - the Cathedral of Peter and Paul - celebrates the patronal day on July 12, and it was on this holiday that the news of the Metropolitan's resignation came.

Today, he is already 71 years old, and rumors have begun to spread among Orthodox believers that Metropolitan Anastassy of Kazan, tired of worldly bustle, is retiring, but this is not entirely true. The head of the Simbirsk diocese cannot leave his post until he finds a worthy successor who will continue to strengthen the position of the Orthodox Church in Russia.