The New Primate of the Polish Orthodox Church
16.05.1998 · English, Архив 1998, Архив 2000
THE NEW PRIMATE OF THE POLISH ORTHODOX CHURCH
On May 12, 1998, the Holy Synod of the Polish Orthodox Church elected its new Primate. Archbishop Sawa of Bialystok and Gdansk became Metropolitan of Warsaw and all Poland.
The newly-elected Metropolitan Sawa (Michal Hrycuniak) was born on April 15, 1938, at Sniatycze, Poland. He graduated from the Orthodox Seminary in 1957 and from the Academy of Christian Theology in Warsaw in 1961, with the degree of Master of Theology.
In 1964 he was ordained deacon.
In 1966 he took monastic vows, was ordained hieromonk and appointed as head of the Metropolitanate’s office.
In 1970 he became father superior of the Jabloczino Monastery.
In 1977 he was appointed dean of the Orthodox Department of the Academy of Christian Theology in Warsaw.
On November 25, 1979, he was consecrated bishop and appointed to the diocese of Lodz and Poznan. In 1981 he was transferred to the diocese of Bialystok and Gdansk.
In 1987 he was elevated to the rank of archbishop.
In 1990 he was made Professor of Theology.
In 1993 he was appointed ruling bishop of the Orthodox diocese of the Polish Army, while retaining his post as the ruling bishop of the diocese of Bialystok and Gdansk. At this post Archbishop gave special attention to the spiritual care of Orthodox servicemen and to the work of the clergy in the Polish Army. On May 16, 1994, the Polish Minister of the People’s Defense appointed him as Chief Military Ordinary of the Polish Army.
After his election, the new Primate of the Polish Orthodox Church, together with the three new bishops of the Polish Church: Miron (Chodakowski) of Hainowka, Gregory (Charkiewicz) of Belsk and Jacob (Kostiuczuk) of Suprasl, were offered congratuations by the Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski at the Presidential Palace.
His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia sent a congratulatory message to the newly-elected Primate of the Polish Orthodox Church.
The enthronement of the new Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland has been fixed for May 31, 1998.