Archbishop Evdokim (Meschersky)
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Archbishop Evdokim (Meschersky) (1869-1935)
Basil may be spelt Vasili, Vasily, William.
Evdokim may be spelt Evdokimos, Eudocimos, Eudocimus, Yevdokim.
Meschersky may be spelt Mischersky.
Early life of Basil Mikhailovich Meschersky
On 1 April, 1869, Basil Mikhailovich Meschersky was born in the village of Kaznevo, in the Melenkovsky district, in the southern part of the Vladimir Governorate in the Russian Empire.
His home parish was a part of the Vladimir Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, and his father was a reader in this parish. Thus, Basil Mikhailovich was raised within the Russian Orthodox Church, and it was during his early life that he grew up in the Orthodox Christian Faith.
Higher education
In 1884, Basil Mikhailovich graduated from the Murom Theological College in Murom (314 km/195 mi west of Moscow).
In 1890, Basil Mikhailovich graduated from the Vladimir Theological Seminary in Vladimir (200 km/120 mi east of Moscow). He was recognised as having been the best student in his year. He then continued to study at the Moscow Theological Academy.
In 1894, Basil Mikhailovich graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy with the degree of candidate of theology (PhD).
Monastic tonsure, 1894
On 21 July, 1894, Basil Mikhailovich was tonsured to be a monk by Archimandrite Antony (Khrapovitsky). He was given the name Evdokim.
Diaconal ordination, 1894
On 31 July, 1894, the Monk Evdokim (Meschersky) was ordained to the Holy Diaconate.
Presbyteral ordination, 1894
On 1 August, 1894, the Hierodeacon Evdokim (Meschersky) was ordained to the Holy Priesthood.
Pastoral service
On 1 August, 1894, by the decree of the Most Holy Synod, the Hieromonk Evdokim (Meschersky) was assigned to serve as a teacher of history and of expository theology at the Novgorod Theological Seminary. He took office officially on 26 December.
On 2 October, 1896, the Hieromonk Evdokim (Meschersky) was assigned to serve as the Inspector of the Novgorod Theological Seminary.
On 2 June, 1898, Hieromonk Evdokim was awarded the degree of Master of Theology.
On 16 July, the Council of the Moscow Theological Academy approved his degree of Master of Theology for the dissertation : “The Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, his Life and evangelical Labours : the Experience of Biblical historical Research”. The dissertation was dedicated to the life and personality of the Apostle John, and it was based on the works of ancient writers, Church Fathers and exegetes of modern times. It was a living historical and artistic narrative.
On 23 December, 1898, Hieromonk Evdokim was assigned to serve as the Inspector of the Moscow Theological Academy under the rector, Bishop Arseny (Stadnitsky) of Volokolamsk. He lectured in the department of homiletics and the history of preaching.
On 1 January, 1899, the Hieromonk Evdokim (Meschersky) was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.
At the same time, he was assigned to be Extraordinary Professor at the academy.
On 1 February, 1902, Archimandrite Evdokim was assigned to serve as full-time Extraordinary Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy.
At about this time, he gained a reputation as a writer and publicist, an author of historical and theological articles, essays and poems. He participated in a polemic about the service of monks to the world in the academic journal "Theological Bulletin" in 1902-1903. During the discussion, Archimandrite Evdokim drew attention to the "precariousness" of his position on the matter under discussion.
In 1903, Archimandrite Evdokim (Meschersky) was assigned to serve as the Rector of the Novgorod Seminary.
On 9 December, 1903, Archimandrite Evdokim was assigned to serve as the Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy. At the same time, he was released from his responsibilities as a professor and as a teacher.
He was awarded the degree of Honourary Doctor of Theology.
On 11 December, 1903, the Most Holy Synod approved a report to the Emperor Nicholas II about the proposal to ordain Archimandrite Evdokim (Meschersky) to the Holy Episcopate, and to assign him to be the Bishop of Volokolamsk and Third Vicar-Bishop of the Moscow diocese. The emperor accepted the proposal and issued a decree.
Episcopal ordination, 1904
On 4 January, 1904, Archimandrite Evdokim (Meschersky) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate in the Dormition Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. The ordination was led by Metropolitan Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky) of Moscow and Kolomna. He was accompanied by Archbishop Sergius (Lanin) of Yaroslavl and Rostov, Bishop Grigory, Bishop John, Bishop Antony, Bishop Nikanor (Nadezhdin) of Yakutsk and Vilnui, Bishop Parfeny (Levitsky) of Mozhaisk, Bishop Trifon (Turkestanov) of Dmitrov, and Bishop Sergiy (Stragorodsky) of Yamburg.
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Bishop Evdokim (Meschersky)
Episcopal service
He was assigned to be a Vicar-Bishop of the city of Volokolamsk in the Moscow Diocese of the Patriarchate of Moscow.
On 13 December, 1905, by decree of the Most Holy Synod, Bishop Evdokim (Meschersky) was assigned to be the Second Vicar of the Moscow Diocese.
In 1906, Bishop Evdokim began publishing a journal, “The Christian”, a monthly journal with articles dedicated to the Christianisation of society. This publication was calculated (according to the thought of Vladyka Evdokim) to be available to a wider circle of readers than the "Theological Bulletin" published at the Moscow Theological Academy.
The rectorship of Bishop Evdokim at the Moscow Theological Academy (in which responsibility he continued to serve) was associated with the removal from the academy of academics suspected of opposition. Amongst others, the historians Vasily Klyuchevsky and Nikolai Kapterev were forced to leave the academy.
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Bishop Evdokim, 1906
On 1 August, 1909, Bishop Evdokim (Meschersky) was released from his responsibilities as Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, and he was transferred and assigned to serve as the Bishop of Kashira, Vicar-Bishop of the Tula and Belev Diocese.
In addition, on 4 August, 1909, he was assigned to serve as the Rector of the Shcheglovsky Monastery of the Mammal Icon of the Mother of God.
In 1914, just before World War I began, Bishop Evdokim (Meschersky) was elevated to the dignity of archbishop.
Transfer to North America, 1914
On 29 July, 1914 (the day after the beginning of World War I), Archbishop Evdokim (Meschersky) was transferred to North America, and he was assigned to the Diocese of the Aleutian Islands and North America, to succeed Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky). With the commencement of the war in Europe, his arrival was delayed for many months.
Vladyka Evdokim arrived in New York City in 1915, and he immediately became involved in the life of the North American diocese. In line with the vision that Saint Tikhon expressed in 1905, Archbishop Evdokim strove to organise and link the Church life of the various national groups within the vast diocese. As a successor to Bishop Raphael (Hawaweeny) (who reposed in 1915) in 1917, he had Archimandrite Aftimios (Ofiesh) ordained to the Holy Episcopate in order to be able to lead the Syro-Arab community. Vladyka Evdokim actively re-organised many of the institutions of the American Church, including transferring the Brooklyn orphanage to the first women’s monastery in Springfield, Vermont, and re-opening the orphanage site in Brooklyn as an Orthodox Women’s College in 1915.
Archbishop Evdokim also took an active interest in Saint Platon’s Seminary in Tenafly, New Jersey.
Archbishop Evdokim understood the social problems of the day, and he quickly comprehended the pluralistic American way of life, and the unique situation of the Orthodox Mission in North America. He reported this comprehension in his 1916 report to the Most Holy Synod in Russia. He commented that he found that the existing administrative structure of the mission was not adequate. In the context of the obvious need, he reiterated Saint Tikhon’s recommendation for a wider autonomy for the Church in America that consisted of many national backgrounds. He also pointed out the many programmes of the mission and the financial needs of that mission. In an essay, “Religious Life in America”, published by the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Press, he pointed out the mistaken impressions of the Russian people that North Americans were indifferent to religion. He also noted that financing of religion in America was not provided through government institutions, but by the people.
There were also difficulties. As he tried to cope with the financial difficulties of the diocese, he demanded the transfer of the church property of Serbian parishes into the hands of the diocesan administration. This provoked a sharply negative reaction.
In his book, P G Protsenko writes that Archbishop Evdokim was accused by some of his contemporaries of wasting church property in North America.
Return to Russia ; All-Russian Local Council, 1917
In 1917, Archbishop Evdokim was summoned to participate in the All-Russian Local Council. This Council began at the time of the October Revolution Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, and it continued meeting until 1918. At the same time, in the wake of the revolution, the Russian Civil War began (and lasted until 1923). This situation consumed the Russian Church’s attention, and it became impossible for him to return to North America.
All-Russian Sobor session
In the view of P G Protsenko, in this context, Archbishop Evdokim (Meschersky) seems to have received any needed forgiveness for any perceived misdeed in North America, and it was decided to put his great administrative experience to use.
On 18 March, 1918 (during the time of the Council), Archbishop Evdokim was assigned to serve as the Temporary administrator of the Kostroma Diocese. In Kostroma (a city situated about 340 km or 211 mi northeast of Moscow), he held weekly pastoral talks in the cathedral, and he read sermons about the violence committed by the Bolsheviks against Orthodox believers. He informed the cathedralites about the execution of a large group of Kostroma clergy and laity, including the Holy Hieromartyrs Archpriest Joseph Smirnov, Priest Vladimir Ilyinsky and Deacon John Kastorsky. He was arrested for a short time.
On 21 October, 1918, Archbishop Evdokim (Meschersky) was assigned to serve as the Temporary Administrator of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese.
On 18 November, 1918, Archbishop Evdokim was officially assigned to serve as the Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas. Nizhny Novgorod is a city about 420 km (260 mi) east of Moscow.
In the turmoil and confusion of the time, and in the context of much of the subject matter discussed at the All-Russian Council regarding possible reforms and changes, he eventually became involved with those who were particularly concerned with furthering these and more changes.
Archbishop Evdokim led the diocese in a difficult time and situation. He came to the diocese only shortly after the execution of the Interim Diocese Administrator, Bishop Lavrentiy (Knyazev), and the arrest of many representatives of the clergy. He gave many homilies ; he lectured ; he organised open pastoral courses and a circle of Christian youth. He knew how to touch and attract people ; but at the same time, he embarrassed believers with his clearly unmonastic behaviour. Archbishop Evdokim stated : “We are experiencing a deep peace in the Nizhny Novgorod diocese. Many say that in the previous, pre-revolutionary times, they did not live so well in the diocese as they do at present”. However, numerous appeals from believers regarding the closure of Temples and the expulsion of priests from their homes were ignored by the ruling bishop.
From the very beginning of his time in this diocese, he sought to establish relations with the Soviet Government, to which he declared full political loyalty. He immediately turned to the chairman of the Nizhny Novgorod Provincial Executive Committee with a proposal for co-operation, promising to "lead a church ship in the American way, where [...] the Church has long been separated from the state". Complying with the wishes of the authorities, Archbishop Evdokim agreed to the official closure of all monasteries outside Nizhny Novgorod (the monasteries were formally converted into agricultural co-operatives).
In December, 1919, the Nizhny Novgorod Diocesan Council adopted a resolution for leadership : "[...] on subordinating to the Soviet power not for fear but for conscience [...] and promoting the implementation of decrees of the Party regarding separation of the Church from the state, on freedom of the religious Council, and of religious communities of the diocese". The compromise position of the archbishop, although it helped to stabilise the situation in the diocese, did not save a number of clergy from persecution by the organs of Soviet power.
The diocesan council organised by the bishop aimed at "harmonising church rules and the requirements of church authority with decrees of the Council of People's Commissars relating to the Church and religious communities".
In December, 1919, the council adopted a resolution "on the subordination to Soviet power not for fear, but for conscience".
In February, 1920, the title of Archbishop Evdokim (Meschersky) was adjusted to "Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod and Makaryev".
Archbishop Evdokim supported the policy of the Soviet civil authorities during their campaign of seizing Church property.
Schism, 1922
On 16 June, 1922, Vladyka Evdokim officially joined the Renovationist movement, and he signed the appeal with the other 2 bishops : Metropolitan Sergiy (Stragorodsky) and Archbishop Seraphim (Meshcheryakov). This appeal said that they considered the "Renovationist Supreme Church Administration" to be the only canonical supreme authority for the Orthodox Church in Russia.
After the formation (with the assistance of these civil authorities) of the “Living Church" (or, “Renovationist Higher Church Administration", VTsU), Vladyka Evdokim delivered an open letter on 19 May, 1922. In this letter, he expressed his solidarity with the “progressive clergy group”, and he accused Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin) of “destroying the Church”.
Ultimately, Archbishop Evdokim was the only one of the 3 hierarchs who remained in this schism until the end of his life.
In 1922, he stated :
Not only I, but also the entire Nizhny Novgorod diocese did not have any significant clashes with the civil authority over the past four years, and I can express nothing but gratitude to the local civil authority for its quite correct attitude towards the Nizhny Novgorod Church.
In August, 1922, he was a member of the All-Russian Congress of the "Living Church". At this time, he was elevated to the dignity of metropolitan.
On 7 September, 1922, "Metropolitan" Evdokim was approved by the chairman of the Renovationist Nizhny Novgorod diocesan administration.
On 17 October, 1922, he was introduced into the renovation centre of Ukraine.
In November, 1922, he was appointed as "Metropolitan" of Vyatka and Sloboda, Chairman of the Renovationist Vyatka Diocesan Administration. The administration was located in the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Vyatka Kremlin.
On 16 February, 1923, he was appointed "Metropolitan" of Odessa and Kherson, Chairman of the Renovationist Kherson Diocesan Administration. He took up this new responsibility on 6 March, 1923. The administration was located in the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral of Odessa.
On 13 April, 1923, he was appointed chairman of the Supreme Church Council in place of the renovationist Metropolitan Antonin (Granovsky).
The First Renovationist Council (or "Second All-Russian" Council) met in Moscow, 29 April-8 May, 1923. At this time, the schism was formally established.
During April and May, 1923, Vladyka Evdokim was a member of the "Second" All-Russian Local Council (i.e. the first Renovationist Council). He arrived at the assembly after the adoption of the main decisions, and he did not have time to sign a document on the deposition and on the anathematisation of Patriarch Tikhon.
From 25 June, 1923, he was the Chairman of the “Renovationist All-Russian Exhibition Centre”.
On 8 August, 1923, in connection with the transformation of the All-Russian Central Council into the All-Russian Renovationist Synod, he became the Chairman of the latter, and he was also appointed to be the head of the publishing and educational section.
Also on 8 August, 1923, he became the head of the Moscow Serafimov Chapel at #1 Meshchanskaya Street.
From 6 December, 1923, he was a professor at the “Renovationist Moscow Theological Academy” (opened 27 November, 1923), where he lectured on the theory of preaching, and he taught courses in Greek.
On 8 August, 1923, the “Renovationist Supreme Church Council”, which was headed by "Metropolitan" Evdokim (Meschersky), was renamed the “Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church”. All previously-existing independent renovation groups were abolished.
His main success in this position was the establishment of "canonical ties" with the Eastern Patriarchates, primarily with the Patriarch of Constantinople. Through this, he tried to increase the legitimacy of the renovationist movement, to give "a more respectable character". It has not yet been satisfactorily explained why the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Patriarchate of Antioch took this step.
In September, 1923, Metropolitan Antony (Khrapovitsky) wrote to him and exhorted him to repent.
According to the report of the Ukrainian GPU in October 1923 : “During his short stay in Odessa, Metropolitan Evdokim provoked hostile reactions from the broad masses of believers. This was caused by his intimate relationship with a certain nun he brought from Nizhny Novgorod. Even the most progressive clergy treat him negatively. In view of the circumstances, it is impossible that Evdokim stay further in Odessa, and it may further weaken the renovationist movement”.
Seal of Metropolitan Evdokim as Chairman
On 23 January, 1924, on behalf of the Holy Synod of the Renovationist Russian Orthodox Church, he wrote to the Central Executive Committee (CEC) Chairman M I Kalinin condolences on the death of V I Lenin, with the words :
May this grave give birth to millions more of new Lenins and unite everyone into a single great fraternal, irresistible family. And the centuries to come will not erase from the memory of the people the road to this grave, the cradle of freedom of all mankind. [...] Eternal memory and eternal peace to your long-suffering, kind and Christian soul. (RGASPI. F. 16. Op. 1. D. 250. L. 5.)
On 15 April, 1924, Patriarch Tikhon issued a decree in which he announced that "Metropolitan" Evdokim, "for schism, unrest and rebellion" was subject to deposition from the dignity of the Holy Episcopate. Moreover, this decree declared that "Metropolitan" Evdokim and all other "renovationist" bishops and clergy were henceforward deposed from all functions of the Holy Episcopate, Priesthood and Diaconate. Further, all these former clergy were excommunicated from the Orthodox Christian Church because of their rebellion and schism.
In June, 1924, "Metropolitan" Evdokim again began to publish the theological journal "The Christian".
He chaired the Renovationist Pre-Council meeting of 1924, at which he made a presentation on the situation in the church. On the last day of the meeting, he made a draft petition to the Council of People's Commissars (“on my own behalf”), which, in particular, stated that
all citizens of the USSR, for their mere membership of religious communities and parish councils, should not be subject to any illegal restrictions in their general civil and professional rights. These include : a) dismissal from services and work ; b) deprivation of voting rights ; c) expulsion from trade unions ; d) deprivation of rights to a pension ; e) an extra tax on crops [...] It is necessary strictly to confirm to all local authorities the unimpeded performance of public religious rites and ceremonies, which strictly follow from the needs of the cult and are based on the customs of believers [...] Local authorities do not approve the closing of churches before they are approved by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. [...] Church and ministers of worship are legislatively protected from public insults and bullying.
During 1924, the Odessa-Kherson Renovationist Diocese was not governed by "Metropolitan" Evdokim because of illness.
On 24 August, 1924, a long leave-of-absence was granted for “health improvement”. According to other sources, he was removed from the leadership by Evgeniy A Tuchkov of the OGPU for excessive independence.
In September, 1924, he went to Gagra near Sochi for treatment.
On 24 November, 1924, he was relieved of his duties as Chairman of the All-Russian Renovationist Synod when he resigned as a member of the Synod.
On 12 December, 1924, he was relieved of his duties as the Editor-in-chief of "The Christian" and "The Herald" journals of the Holy Synod.
On 9 February, 1925, he was released from the administration of the Renovationist Odessa-Kherson Diocese.
In October, 1925, he was a member of the "Third All-Russian Local Council" (Second Renovationist Council), at which he was elected a member of the All-Russian Renovationist Synod. He lived in the Caucasus region.
Retirement, 1926
In March, 1926, he received an offer from the All-Russian Renovationist Synod to head the Nizhny Novgorod Renovationist Diocese, while retaining the allowance from the Synod. He refused the offer. He seems to have been determined to live in retirement.
In "Essays on Russian Church Troubles" by Anatoly Krasnov-Levitin and Vadim Shavrov, the last period of his life is described in this way :
Having retired, Vladyka settled in Khosta near Sochi, Russia. There, he served in a small church without a deacon, and even without a psalm-reader. He dispensed with the parish headman, and he himself sometimes sold candles. Even worse times came for the bishop in the 1930s : the small Temple in which he served was closed. Vladyka was forced to engage in a clandestine legal practice : writing statements of claim. When this earning opportunity also disappeared (the local judicial authorities vigourously protested), the metropolitan was asked to remove his dignity, which, of course, he could not agree to. He also did not go to reconciliation with the Synod. In the last years of his life, the residents of Khosta saw a venerable old man who, sitting in a city square, was selling sweets and gingerbread cookies. This was Metropolitan Evdokim, once known in the Russian Church for his lordly manners.
Despite being removed from office, from 1925 he was nominally considered to be a permanent member of the Presidium of the Renovationist Synod.
In 1934, he was fired in retirement as a member of the Synod.
Repose, 1935
"Metropolitan" Evdokim (Meschersky) reposed, probably on 10 May, 1935 (according to the "Orthodox Encyclopaedia"), in Moscow. This occurred a few days after the "self-dissolution" of the Synod.
After the funeral services, his body was interred at the Vagankovskoye Cemetery in Moscow.
An alternative date and place are given in the collection "Moscow professors of the 18th-early 20th centuries", which indicates the place of repose in the village of Khosta near Sochi, with the date 22 October, 1935.
— Bishop of Volokolamsk 1904-1909. Preceded by : Bishop Arsenius (Stadinsky). Succeeded by : Bishop Theodore (Pozdeyevsky).
— Vicar-Bishop of the Diocese of Moscow 1904-1909.
— Bishop of Kashira 1909-1914. Preceded by : Bishop George (Yaroshevsky). Succeeded by : Bishop Juvenaly (Maslovsky).
— Vicar-Bishop of the Diocese of Tula and Belev 1909-1914.
— Archbishop of the Aleutians and North America 1914-1918. Preceded by : Archbishop Platon (Rozhdestvensky). Succeeded by : Archbishop Alexander (Nemolovsky).
— Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas 1918-1920. Preceded by : Archbishop Joachim (Levitsky). Succeeded by : Title changed.
— Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod and Makariev 1920-1922. Preceded by : Title changed. Succeeded by : Metropolitan Sergiy (Stragorodsky).
Thereafter, a bishop of the Renovationist Schism.
— "Metropolitan" of the Renovationist Vyatka and Sloboda Diocese 1922-1923.
— Renovationist Chairman 1922. Predecessor : Antonin (Granovsky). Successor : position abolished.
— Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Renovationists 1923-1925. Predecessor : position established. Successor "Metropolitan" Veniamin (Muratovsky).
— "Metropolitan" of the Renovationist Odessa and Kherson Diocese 1923-1925.
Reflections
The reasons for the 1909 dismissal from the Moscow Academy were conflicting situations amongst the teaching staff and students ; embezzlement by the rector of a large sum of money ; and the extremely low authority of Bishop Evdokim in the Moscow Theological Academy. As one of the professors wrote :
His Grace Evdokim left the Academy without any parting words on his part [...] his departure evoked in no-one any feelings other than relief.
Metropolitan Arseniy (Stadnitsky) in his diary wrote sharply and negatively about the activities of Vladyka Evdokim (Meschersky) and he gave an explanation of the peculiarities of his career. In particular, he referred to the transfer from Moscow to the post of provincial vicar bishop :
I have known Evdokim for a long time. [...] A man, undoubtedly, capable ; but, by his nature, deceitful and unstable in his views. At first, he can charm with his courtesy, but with a closer acquaintance, the deceit of his nature soon reveals itself. [...] The time of his rectorship at the academy was [...] one of misunderstanding and ended in scandal, since he was removed from the academy after the revision. [...] Metropolitan Vladimir insisted on his speedy departure. He could not endure his lying. [...] They barely gave him the Tula Vicariate. Here, he also began to behave badly, so Archbishop Partheniy (Levitsky) of Tula repeatedly asked the Synod to take away from him a vicar who is "impossible" to make behave.
According to contemporaries at that time, only the patronage of the Ober-Procurator of the Most Holy Synod, Vladimir K Sabler, helped Bishop Evdokim to continue his career.
On 19 September, 1923, Metropolitan Antony (Khrapovitsky) wrote to "Metropolitan" Evdokim, and he exhorted him :
To the one who calls himself the Metropolitan. [...] Yes, it is all over for you : the existence of God, the immortality of the soul, and the future afterlife ; but I remain with the old, once common ideology with you, 'I believe in one God, the Father Almighty', etc. and I do not want to switch to a utilitarian outlook on life [...] and I will not bother with your church. [...] Repent ! After all, we have only a few years left to live. Although you were my student and, alas, a veteran, you will be 55 years old soon ; and with your weaknesses, you will not live for a long time. At the judgement of God, neither the Jews nor the priests nor the nihilists will intercede for you.
It is suggested that the reasons for the removal of "Metropolitan" Evdokim from the Chairmanship of the Renovationists could be the following :
First, he failed to reach an agreement with the Canonical Patriarchal Church about unification with the renovationists with himself as the actual leader. The Canonical Orthodox bishops opposed sharply any compromises with the bishop who had joined the Renovationists. Negotiations about unification, conducted for some time between the entourage of Patriarch Tikhon and "Metropolitan" Evdokim, ended in failure. On 15 April, 1924, Patriarch Tikhon issued a decree in which he announced that "Metropolitan" Evdokim, "for schism, unrest and rebellion" was subject to deposition from the dignity of the Holy Episcopate.
Second, "Metropolitan" Evdokim proposed sending the Renovationist "Bishop" Nikolai (Soloviy) abroad so that he would head the diocese in South America. However, when Nicholas was allowed to leave for Uruguay in 1924, he began to speak from anti-Soviet positions. This was very costly for "Metropolitan" Evdokim, who, summoned to Tuchkov, disappeared for several days. The metropolitan returned home in a terrible state : his whole face was bruised.
Third, "Metropolitan" Evdokim ruined relations with many leaders of the renovationist movement, including Alexander Vvedensky. It is possible that the content of the petition announced by "Metropolitan" Evdokim also played a role. It clearly did not suit the Soviet government, which, until its fall, discriminated against the clergy and believers. Moreover, the government perceived the Renovationists in the 1920s and 1930s as its agents, not partners.
From the details of the biography of Archbishop Evdokim, it seems that he was a person of both high intelligence and great ability. He had many gifts. However, it is frequently a temptation of people with such gifts to fall into believing that because of their intelligence, not only do they know more than most people, but also that they are actually better than most people. If their gifts include understanding the ways of people, they can begin to use people in order to achieve their own ends through manipulation and even deceit. With great intelligence comes a great responsibility, a responsibility which not all are able to live up to.
As a consequence, when he turned away from the canonical Church (for whatever reasons), he turned completely. Not only did he reject calls to repentance, but he also began to defame Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin) both during and after his incarceration. Furthermore, once the "Renovationist" church had been established, the former bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church colluded with the former priest, now a schismatic bishop John Kedrovsky to use their knowledge about the Diocese of the Aleutians and North America in order to gain power and ownership of properties as agents of the Soviet government.
An example of such co-operation with the Soviet authorities is found in a report by Michael Polsky, who wrote that :
the bishops who had fallen into schism usually played the terrible role of mediator in the affairs of the GPU. Archbishop Evdokim (Meshchersky), the Renovationist Metropolitan, within the walls of the GPU, urged Metropolitan Arseny (Stadinsky) of Novgorod to switch to renovationism. Metropolitan Arseny said to his former colleague at the Moscow Academy : 'But you know that renovationism is lawless'. Archbishop Evdokim answered : 'What can you do if they demand it', as he nodding his head towards the Chekist’s door. When Metropolitan Arseny remained adamant, Archbishop Evdokim angerily said to him : 'Well, rot in prison !' With this, he left the prisoner.
Writings
• “Solovki” : Page from the Diary of the Pilgrim (Moscow, 1899).
• “Newfound handwritten ‘Stoglav’” (Sergiev Posad, 1899).
• “About Christian marriage” (Sergiev Posad, 1901).
• “Two Days in Kronstadt”, 2nd ed. (Sergiev Posad, 1902).
• “Hegumen Daniel” (Moscow, 1902).
• “Shepherd teacher” (Trinity Lavra, 1903).
• “At the Dawn of a new Church Life : Thoughts and Feelings” (Trinity Lavra, 1905).
• “The Tsar and the Patriarch (about their relationship)” (Sergiev Posad, 1906).
• “The Christian” (1906-1916) [monthly magazine]
• “At the Grave of Metropolitan Filaret” (Sergiev Posad, 1909).
• “In the Field of God”, vol. 1 (Sergiev Posad, 1909).
• “Freedom of the Press” (Sergiev Posad, 1912).
• “On Church and Public Affairs”, vol. 1 (Sergiev Posad, 1914).
• “From the History of the Word” (Sergiev Posad, 1914).
• “Religious Life in America” (Sergiev Posad, 1915).
• ‘Our Tasks’ in “Christian Edition of the Study Committee of the Holy Synod”, no. 1 (1924), pp. 1-5.
• ‘Common Mind or Autocracy ?’ in “Christian Edition of the Study Committee of the Holy Synod” (1924).
Writings about Metropolitan Evdokim (Meschersky) by various authors :
• “Church Bulletin” nos. 51-52 (1903), pp. 399, 1909, no. 32 ; p. 309 ; no. 32 (1914), p. 377 ; nos. 19-20 (1918), p. 114.
• “According to the Church Bulletin”, nos. 51-52 (1903), pp. 2044-2045 ; no. 10 (1904), pp. 344-359 ; no. 49 (1906), p. 3102 ; no. 17 (1912), p. 725 ; no. 6 (1918), p. 232 ; nos. 13-14, p. 478.
• “Church Messenger”, no. 41 (Saint Petersburg, 1904), pp. 172-173 ; no. 42, p. 1321.
• “Renovationist Church”, no. 11 (1923), p. 3 ; no. 14, p. 4 ; no. 6 (1924), p. 1 ; nos. 7-8, p. 1 ; nos. 13-14, p. 60 ; nos. 15-16, p. 68 ; no. 2 (1925), p. 14, nos. 5, 6, 7, p. 55 ; nos. 12-13 (1926), p. 14.
• “Bulletin of the Eparchy of Kazakhstan”, no. 3 (1907), pp. 77-83 ; no. 46 (1914), p. 1464.
• “Red Archive”, vol. 40 (1930), p. 72.
• ‘Shower : Interview’ in “Athos Chronicle” (1911), p. 376.
• “Orthodox Interview” (November, 1908), p. 593.
• “Russian Pilgrim”, no. 21 (1915), p. 336.
• “Missionary Calendar” (1907), p. 132.
• “Journal of the Russian Orthodox Holy Synod, vol. 16, no. 3 (1927), p. 21.
• “Siberian Church”, no. 2 (October, 1922), pp. 1, 13.
• “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate”, 1955, no. 3 (1955), p. 71 ; no. 11 (1959), p. 14.
• Bulgakov, pp. 1406, 1415.
• “BES”, vol. 1, Saint Petersburg, p. 817.
• “BEL”, vol. 5, Saint Petersburg, pp. 192-193.
• “NES”, vol. 17, Saint Petersburg, p. 171 and add. 1, p. 720.
• “FPS”, vol. 1, no. 12, p. 1 and vol. 3, no. 68, p. 3.
• “FAM”, vol. 1, p. 46 ; vol. I2, no. 16, p. 2.
• “FAOOS”, case no. 84.
• “Cat-AM” (updated), no. 131.
• “Kat-YaV”, no. 111, p. 54-55.
• “Cat-EU”, no. 1, p. 11, paragraph 60.
• “Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Hierarchy for 1917”, pp. 318-319.
• “Orthodox Russia”, no. 18 (1955), p. 9.
• “KiO”, no. 5 (1962), p. 24.
• Regel'son, Lev, “Tragedy of the Russian Church 1917-1945” (Paris, 1977), pp. 303, 312, 330, 347, 355.
• Levitin, A ; Sarov V, “Ocerki po istorii”, vol. 1, pp. 168f., 170-174, 178, 214.
• Pol'skij, M, “Novye Muceniki” ("New Martyrs"), vol. 1, p. 149.
• Chrysostomus, J, “Kirchengeschichte” ("Church history"), vol. 1, pp. 204, 205, 216, 223, 275, 304, 307, 319 ; vol. 2, pp. 36-38, 79, 80, 285.
• Tarasar, Constance J, ed., "Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America" (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE. p. 129.
• Nikitin, D N, ‘Evdokim’ in “Orthodox Encyclopedia” (Moscow : Church and Scientific Centre, Orthodox Encyclopedia), vol. 17 (2008), pp. 115-117. ISBN : 978-5-89572-030-1.
• Volkov V A ; Kulikova M V, Loginov, V S, “Moscow Professors of the 18th-early 20th Centuries : Humanities and Social Sciences (Moscow : Janus-K : Moscow Textbooks and Cartolithography, 2006), p. 96. ISBN : 5-8037-0164-5.
References
Russian Orthodox Parishes in the USA biography
Drevo Orthodox Encyclopaedia biography
Orthodox Encyclopedia biography
Orthodox Encyclopedia (Church Scientific Centre) biography ("Dva Grada")
“The Russian Mission in North America”
Additional information :
Archdiocese of Canada – Orthodox Church in America, “The Orthodox Church in Canada : A Chronology” (Ottawa : Archdiocese of Canada, 1988).
Curtiss, J C, “The Russian Orthodox and the Soviet State, 1917-1950” (Gloucester, MA : Peter Smith Publishing Inc., 1965). ISBN 10 : 0844611417 ; ISBN 13 : 978-0844611419.
Firsov, Sergey Lvovich, "Time as Judge : Orthodox Churches of Russia and Constantinople in the 20th Century" (Moscow : Department of External Church Relations, 12 December 2018).
Pospielovsky, Dimitry, ‘The Renovationist Schism in the Russian Orthodox Church’ in “Journal of Church and State”, vol. 39, no.1 (Winter, 1997), pp. 85-105.
Pospielovsky, Dimitry, “The Russian Church Under the Soviet Regime 1917-1982”, 2 vols. (Crestwood, NY : St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1984).
Regel'son, Lev, “The Tragedy of the Russian Church 1917-1945” (Paris, YMCA Press, 1977).
(Snychev), Metropolitan John, "Church Schisms in the Russian Church in the 1920s and 1930s" (St Petersburg : Sortavala, 1993)
Solzhenitsyn, Alexander, et al., “From Under the Rubble” (Washington, DC : Regnery Books, 1981). ISBN 10 : 0895268906 ; ISBN 13 : 978-0895268907.
Tarasar, Constance J, ed., "Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America" (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE.
Orthodoxhistory.org historical details
Orthodoxwiki article about Archbishop Evdokim
Religion Wikia article about Archbishop Evdokim
Orthodoxwiki article about the Church of Russia
Orthodoxwiki article with reference to the "Metropolia"
OrthodoxWiki article about Alaska
Orthodoxwiki article about the "All Russian Church Council of 1917-1918"
Orthodoxwiki article about the "Living Church"
Wikipedia article about the Russian Orthodox Church