Sergius (Fomin)

Born in a believing family. From the age of ten, he began to release on weekends one of Krasnozavodsk to Zagorsk (now Sergiev Posad) for church services. Moreover, he had to stay in the church from the evening before the liturgy, since it was dangerous to stay with relatives there - law enforcement officers immediately took guests under “guardianship”, and the police could arrest him on the street ^[1] .

In the sixth grade, having already decided to become a priest, he joined the pioneers - “Dozhal”. Then he became a Komsomol member ^[2] .

In 1967 he graduated from high school and intended to leave the Komsomol and leave to enter a theological seminary, but he encountered difficulties posed to him by the authorities. So, he was summoned for a "heart-to-heart talk" to the city committee of the Komsomol and the party, and then to the CPSU district committee in Zagorsk. According to his memoirs: “When I started talking about ... that we have a Constitution and we can profess any religion according to it ... they answered me like this:“ You know, dear, the Constitution is for grandmothers, and not for you! “” ^{[1 ]} .

As a result, he was still able to enter the Moscow Theological Seminary. In 1970 he graduated from the seminary and entered the Moscow Theological Academy ^[2] .

On August 26, 1973, the governor of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Archimandrite Jerome (Zinoviev), was tonsured a monk with the name Sergius in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh ^[2] .

Priestly Ministry

On September 21 of the same year, the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, Bishop Vladimir Dmitrovsky (Sabodan), was ordained to the rank of hierodeacon , and on September 22 - to the rank of hieromonk ^[2] .

From 1973 to 1974 - Acting Head of the Chancellery of the Moscow Theological Academy and Moscow Theological Seminary ^[2] .

In 1974 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy with a degree of candidate of theology. Candidate dissertation on the topic: “The Doctrine of St. Athanasius the Great about the consubstantial son of God with God the Father” ^[2] .

From 1974 to 1977 he studied at graduate school at the Moscow Theological Academy and performed obedience to accompany foreign delegations in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra ^[2] .

In 1977, he became a referent for the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate ^[2] .

In 1978, on the occasion of Easter, he was awarded by Patriarch Pimen the elevation of hegumen to the rank of ^[2] .

From 1978 to 1982, he was the representative of the Moscow Patriarchate at the Christian Peace Conference in Prague ( Czechoslovakia ). Every time he brought a Bible from abroad, pretending at customs that it was his personal book, but it seems new because the owner is neat by nature ^[1] .

June 22-27, 1978 participated in the Fifth All-Christian Peace Congress in Prague ^[3] , at which he was elected a member of the Committee for the Continuation of the Christian Peace Conference . Then he was elected a member of the International Secretariat and Deputy Secretary General ^[2] . In 1981 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite ^[2] .

From March 26 to 30, 1979 in Prague, he took part in a consultation of the commission “World Mission and Evangelization” on the topic “Christian witness today in the socialist countries of Europe” ^[4] .

From April to May 1982, he headed the headquarters for the preparation and holding of the World Conference "Religious figures for the salvation of the sacred gift of life from a nuclear catastrophe" ^[2] .

On July 16, 1982, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church appointed deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate with the dismissal of a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Christian Peace Conference ^[2] . At the same time, he became the rector of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Geneva, at which this representation was launched.

He took part in the Karlovy Vary-V peacekeeping conference held from October 5 to 8, 1982 ^[5] .

Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

On December 28, 1982, by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was elected bishop of Solnechnogorsk, vicar of the Moscow diocese ^[2] .

January 29, 1983 in the White Hall of the Patriarchal residence in Chisty Lane in Moscow, he was named bishop, headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Pimen ^[2] .

On January 30, 1983, in the Epiphany Patriarchal Cathedral, his episcopal consecration took place, which was performed by: Patriarch Pimen, Metropolitan of Tallinn and Estonia Alexy (Ridiger) , Metropolitan of Minsk and Belarus Filaret (Vakhromeev) , Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomensky Yuvenaliy (Poyarkimopirimkopolskim) Nechaev) , Archbishop of Sverdlovsk and Kurgan Plato (Udovenko) , Archbishop of Zaraisk Job (Tyvonyuk) ^[2] .

He took part in the VI General Assembly of the World Council of Churches from July 24 to August 10, 1983 ^[6] .

On December 26, 1984, he was relieved of his post as Deputy Chairwoman of the DECR and was appointed representative of the Russian Orthodox Church at the World Council of Churches in Geneva ( Switzerland ) ^[2] .

September 9, 1988, "in view of the diligent ministry of the holy Church", he was awarded the rank of archbishop ^[2] .

Participated in the 27th International Old Catholic Congress in Geneva on August 27 - 31, 1990.

On January 31, 1991, he was appointed chairman of the then Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service . In the same year, no later than March 25, he was relieved of his post as representative of the Moscow Patriarchate at the WCC ^[7] .

On July 17, 1996, by the decision of the Holy Synod, he was appointed the Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate (in connection with which he became a permanent member of the Holy Synod), while retaining control of the Church Charity and Social Service Department.

February 18, 1997 on the first day of the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church February 18-23, 1997 was elected its secretary ^[8] .

On May 14, 1997, by order of the President of the Russian Federation, he was included in the Council for Cooperation with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation ^[9] .

On February 19, 1999, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, with his decree “In Attention to Archpastoral Works”, awarded Archbishop Sergius the Metropolitan ^[10] .

At the Voronezh Department

On May 7, 2003, by the decision of the Holy Synod, he was appointed Metropolitan of Voronezh and Borisoglebsky ^[11] .

On December 26, 2003, by the decision of the Holy Synod, he was relieved of the post of Manager of the Moscow Patriarchate ^[12] .

On September 2, 2004, he was expelled from the Council for Cooperation with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation ^[13] .

On March 5, 2010, by the decision of the Holy Synod, he was relieved of his post as chairman of the Church Charity and Social Service Department, expressing gratitude for the efforts to organize the Department and for managing its activities for almost twenty years ^[14]

July 3, 2011 took part in the festivities on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the First Hierarch's intronization of Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria, held in the Patriarchal Cathedral in the name of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky in Sofia ^[15] .

On December 26, 2013, the Holy Synod allocated from the Voronezh diocese the Rossoshansk and Borisoglebsk dioceses, the title of Metropolitan Sergius was changed to “Voronezh and Liskinsky”, all three dioceses became part of the newly formed Voronezh Metropolis , the head of which was Metropolitan Sergius ^[16] .

articles

• To the 70th anniversary of the General Bishop, Dr. Jan Mikhalko // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate . - 1983. - No. 3. - S. 62-63.
• Speech in the name of Bishop of Solnechnogorsk // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. 1983. No. 4. p. ten;
• Second General Assembly of the Latin American KMK // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. M., 1983. No. 4. P. 39-41.
• “Assisting victims of natural disasters and emergencies is the duty of religious organizations.” [Report at the international seminar November 13-14, 1996 in Moscow. The seminar was organized by the Department for Social Ministry and Charity, WCC and UN] // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. M., 1997. No. 1. p. 50-55;
• Greetings to the participants of the 7th Annual Theological Conference // Annual Theological Conference of the Orthodox St. Tikhon Theological Institute. M., 1997. p. 5.
• Archbishop Seraphim (Rodionov) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. M., 1998. No. 5. P. 47-49.
• “In my life I had one desire - to serve the Church ...” (anniversary of Metropolitan Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. M., 1999. No. 10. p. 34-36.
• Social service is the duty of the Church, the duty of the state, the calling of man // Historical Herald . M., 2000. No. 5-6 (09-10). p. 115-120.
• Evidence of spiritual unity / literary processing: O. Kiryanova // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. M., 2000. No. 7. pp. 75-76.
• The trip of the pilgrimage delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church to Mount Athos / interview - answers: Sergius, Metropolitan of Voronezh and Borisoglebsky // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. M., 2005. No. 12. P. 42-45.

the books

• Metropolitan of Voronezh and Borisoglebsky Sergius: "For the heart of the one who cares, pain ...". Scientific research. Reports. Sermons. Interview. Publishing House: Voronezh, 2004;
• Metropolitan of Voronezh and Borisoglebsky Sergius: “I live in the ministry of the Church.” Messages and sermons, reports and speeches, interviews. Publishing House: Voronezh, 2009;
• Metropolitan of Voronezh and Liskinsky Sergius: "Do not submit to the spirit of the times." Interview. Publisher: Voronezh, 2014.

interview

• “The church should be united, but this unity should not mean unity of views and opinions ...” [Conversation of the Archbishop of Solnechnogorsk Sergius with Archpriest John Sviridov] // Church and Public Bulletin: Special supplement to “Russian Thought”. 1996. No. 3;
• “Our faith and hope should be active”: (Interview with the Head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Solnechnogorsk Sergius) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. M., 1996. No. 9. p. 9-10;
• “The meaning of clergy is to make life easier for a person”: Conversation with the correspondent of the journal “Church and Time” // “ Church and Time ”. M., 1999. No. 2 (09). pg. 21-33;
• Pilgrimage delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church to Mount Athos [interview]  / interview - answers: Sergius, Metropolitan of Voronezh and Borisoglebsky // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. M., 2005. No. 12. P. 42-45.
• “I Live in the Ministry of the Church ...” // Shepherd Magazine: January 2008, p. 33
• Need daily work on yourself // Russian Inok Magazine, September 2008, p. 45

Church:

• Order of the Holy Cross I degree ( Jerusalem Orthodox Church ).
• Order of Cyril and Methodius II and III degree ( Orthodox Church of the Czech lands and Slovakia )
• Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, III Degree ( 1982 )
• Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, II degree ( 1987 )
• Order of the Holy Right Prince Daniel of Moscow, I degree ( 1999 )
• Order of St. Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, II degree ( 2003 )
• Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, II Degree (“In view of your diligent ministry and in connection with the 25th anniversary of the hierarchal ordination”; January 30, 2008 ^[17] )
• Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, II degree ("In Attention to Your Hardworking Service" and in connection with the 65th anniversary; August 24, 2014) ^[18]
• Medal of St. Epiphanius the Wise, 1st Degree (October 14, 2018) ^[19]

State and departmental:

• Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" IV degree ( September 25, 1999 ) - for his great contribution to the revival of spirituality and the strengthening of civil peace ^[20]
• Order of Friendship ( December 9, 2004 ) - for merits in the development of spiritual and cultural traditions, strengthening friendship between peoples ^[21]
• Medal “In memory of the 850th anniversary of Moscow”
• Medal "For Merit in the Conduct of the All-Russian Population Census"
• Medal "For strengthening the penal system" II degree (Ministry of Justice of Russia)
• Medal "200 years to the Ministry of Defense"
• Medal "100 years of the air force"
• Medal "80th anniversary of the traffic police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia" ( 2016 ) ^[22]
• Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation ( January 3, 2001 ) - for his great contribution to the spiritual and moral revival of Russia, the strengthening of civil peace and in connection with the 2000 anniversary of Christianity ^[23]

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