Background
AGAFANGEL, Aleksandr was born in 1854 in Tula Province.
AGAFANGEL, Aleksandr was born in 1854 in Tula Province.
1881 graduate Moscow Theological Academy:.
From 1881 teacher, Ranenburg Theological College, then supervisor, Skolo Theological College. 1885 appointed priestmonk and assumed name of Agafangel. 1886-1888 inspector and fathersuperior, Tomsk Seminary.
1888 rector and archimandrite, Irkutsk Seminary. 1889-1893 Bishop ofKirensk. 1893-1897 Bishop of Tobol’sk.
1897-1904 Bishop, 1904-1910 Archbishop of Riga. 1910-1913 Archbishop of Lith and Vilnius. From 1913 Archbishop, then Metropolitan of Yaroslavl’.
1917-1918 attended synod of Russian Orthodox Church. Shortly before his trial, Patriarch Tikhon appointed him head of church administration Condemned noncanonical demands of reform clergy and proposals for local selfadmin organs.
Was confined to Yaroslavl’ by Joint State Political Administration and thus prevented from performing admin duties. Named vicar of Patriarchal Throne by Patriarch Tikhon’s dying behest but could not assume this post because he was under house arrest. Rejected attempts of reform clergy to win his cooperation with promise of freedom.
August-December 1925 imprisoned in Lubyanka, then exiled to Narym Kray. 1926 re-imprisoned in Lubyanka. Resisted Joint State Political Administration pressure but renounced vicarship.
Straggled against subjugation of clergy to Soviet authority. Uncompromising opponent of Communist ideology.
Idea of God is a virus of human mind.
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union is the leading and guiding force of Soviet society, and the nucleus of its political system, of all state and public organizations.