« The oldest bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Anatoly (Kuznetsov), reposed in the Lord »

On January 26, 2024, at the age of 94, the retired oldest bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Anatoly (Kuznetsov), reposed in the Lord.

With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', the deceased bishop will be buried in the historical necropolis of the Moscow Theological Academy, which is located in the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra.

***

Archbishop Anatoly (secular name - Evgeny Vlasovich Kuznetsov) was born on May 28, 1930 in Irkutsk.

Since 1947 - psalmist in the churches of the Irkutsk diocese, since 1949 - subdeacon of Bishop Palladius (Sherstennikov) of Irkutsk.

In 1949-1956 he studied at the Moscow Theological Seminary (MTS).

On October 31, 1954 he was ordained to the rank of deacon, on July 1, 1956 - to the rank of priest.

In 1960 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy (MTA) with a PhD in theology, and retained at the MTA as a professorial fellow.

On October 11, 1960 he was tonsured a monk, in 1963 he was elevated to the rank of abbot, and in 1968 - to the rank of archimandrite.

From 1960 he taught Holy Scriptures at the MTS, and later, from 1967, at the MDA. He participated in the work of the Biblical Commission of the Publishing Department of the Moscow Patriarchate.

On September 3, 1972 he was consecrated Bishop of Vilna and Lithuania.

Since September 3, 1974 - Bishop of Zvenigorod, representative of the Patriarch of Moscow to the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East.

Since November 16, 1979 - Bishop of Ufa and Sterlitamak.

On July 20, 1990, he was appointed Bishop of Kerch, vicar of the Sourozh diocese.

On February 25, 1993 he was elevated to the rank of archbishop.

The Holy Synod, at a meeting on December 27, 2001, retired him for health reasons and blessed him to continue the construction of the Russian Orthodox Church in Manchester and provide pastoral care for this parish.

The Holy Synod, at its meeting on July 17, 2002 blessed him to continue serving in the Sourozh diocese as a vicar with the title “Kerch” and appointed him Rector of a stauropegic parish in Manchester, Great Britain.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of May 4, 2017 (journal No. 45), he was retired due to health reasons and the Holy Synod determined his residence at the Savvino-Storozhevsky stauropegic monastery.

Patriarchia.ru/Sourozh.org