Metropolitan Kornily (Titov) of Moscow and All Russia elected as primate of the Russian Orthodox Old Belief Church

The Sacred Council of the Russian Orthodox Old Belief Church met on October 18, 2005, at the Cathedral of the Protecting Veil at the Rogozhsky Cemetery in Moscow.

The most representative Council in the modern history of this Church was attended by 245 delegates including the episcopate, clergy and laity. The central item on its agenda was the election of a new primate of the Church. As a result of conciliar discussion, five names were singled out for voting in the first round: Locum Tenens Archbishop Ioann (Vitushkin) of Yaroslavl and Kostroma, Bishop Sevaty (Kozko) of Kiev and All Ukraine, Bishop Zosima (Yeremeyev) of the Don and Caucasus, Bishop Yevmeny (Mikheyev) of Kishinev and All Moldavia, Bishop Kornily (Titov) of Kazan and Vyatka. In a secret vote that took place in the evening of October 18, two thirds of the votes were given to Bishop Kornily, the youngest consecrated bishop in the Old Belief Church (his episcopal consecration took place on May 8, 2005), who was in the strong lead in all the three voting rounds. In his address at the end of the first day of the Council, the new head of the Old Belief Church assured the assembly that he would continue the policy pursued by his predecessor, Metropolitan Andrian, untimely deceased on August 10, 2005.

The First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, sent a congratulatory message to Metropolitan Kornily on the occasion of his calling to the lofty service.

To: The Most Reverend Kornily

Old Belief Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia

Your Eminence,

I wholeheartedly congratulate you on your election to the lofty office of primate of the Russian Orthodox Old Belief Church. I wish to Your Eminence God’s help in your forthcoming important service and express sincere hope that the good and mutually respectful relations established between our two Churches will continue. May the All-Merciful Lord multiply your spiritual and physical strength for many good years.

With love in Christ,

+ ALEXY,

PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, sent the following congratulatory message to the newly-elected Metropolitan Kornily of Moscow and All Russia:

To: The Most Reverend Kornily

Old Belief Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia

Your Eminence,

I sincerely congratulate you on your election to the high office of the head of the Russian Orthodox Old Belief Church and elevation to the rank of Old Belief Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia. May the All-Merciful Lord give you spiritual strength and physical health in your new church ministry.

I hope for further consolidation of fraternal relations between our two Churches so that the spirit of mutual understanding and goodwill established recently in our relations may grow.

With brotherly love in Christ,

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad

Chairman

Department for External Church Relations

Moscow Patriarchate

The Sacred Council of the ROOBC will complete its work on October 21, after consideration of all the remaining items on its agenda. The enthronement of the new Old Belief Metropolitan Kornily of Moscow and All Russia is planned for October 23 at the Cathedral of the Protecting Veil, the main church of the Russian Orthodox Old Belief Church.