Education
1890 graduate Saint St. Petersburg Theological Academy.
1890 graduate Saint St. Petersburg Theological Academy.
Took monastic vows while still at academic After graduate stayed on at acad for research work. Then worked for Orthodox Theological Mission in Japan and taught at a Japanese seminary.
1892 missionary work in Kyoto. 1893 associate professor, Saint St. Petersburg Theological Academy. 1894, as archimandrite, chaplain of Russian Embassy Church in Athens.
1897 assistant head Orthodox Theological Mission in Japan. Then rector, Saint St. Petersburg Theological Seminary and inspector, Saint St. Petersburg Theological Academy. From 1901 rector, Saint St. Petersburg Theological Academy as Bishop of Yamburg and Vicar of Saint St. Petersburg Eparchy.
From 1905 Archbishop of Finland and Vyborg. From 1911 member, Most Holy Synod and chairman, Special Council for Domestic and Foreign Missionary Affairs. 1917, after disbanding of old Synod, headed new Holy Synod and was appointed Archbishop of Vladimir and Shuyskoye.
1918 elevated to metropolitan and appointed to Nizhniy Novgorod Eparchy. Was not a close associate of Patriarch Tikhon. In opposition to patriarchal views, he recognized Renovated Church movement, which was supported by Communist regime.
1924, after collapse of this movement, made public repentance in Moscow. 1925, after death of Patriarch Tikhon and arrest of all his deputies, became debuty vicar of patriarchal throne. 1926, in his address to Soviet government, defended Orthodox Church against regime’s attempts to subordinate it to political goals.
1926-1927 in prison; 1927 accepted government terms for legalization of Church admin and was released from prison. 1927. on behalf of the Synod, signed and published a declaration calling on Russian Orthodox Church to be loyal to the Soviet government. Barred clergy who refused to accept this declaration from officiating, which led to the arrest, exile and death of many clergymen.
Subsequently fully served interests of Soviet regime, took an authoritative stand and refused to consider the views of the majority of the episcopate. 1934 took title “Most Blessed Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna". During World War 2 delivered patriotic appeals and organized collection of eparchial donations for the Dmitriy Donskoy Tank Column, for air force squadrons, et cetera
1942 published propaganda book “Pravda o religii v Rossii” (The Truth About Religion in Russia), assuring the foreign reader that the Church enjoyed complete freedom in the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics. 1943, in token of the government’s recognition of his services, he was received by Stalin. 1943, in contravention of Orthodox Church canons, he was elected Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
Took stem action against anti-patriarchal factions. 1944 began to receive for delegs and would assure them that there was complete freedom of religion in the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics. Because of their propaganda value, was authorized by Soviet regime to open theological training establishments and publish “Zhurnal Moskovskoy Patriarkhii” and other works of a Churchpolit nature.