Volodymyr Sabodan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Beatitude Volodymyr |
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|---|---|
| Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine | |
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| Church | Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) |
| Elected | May 27, 1992 |
| Predecessor | Filaret |
| Successor | Onufriy |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 15, 1961 |
| Consecration | July 9, 1966 by Pimen I of Moscow |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 23, 1935 Markivtsi, Vinnytsia Oblast, Ukrainian SSR |
| Died | July 5, 2014 (aged 78) Kyiv, Ukraine |
| Signature | ,_%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%8C.svg){kind=small} |
Metropolitan Volodymyr (also known as Viktor Sabodan) was a very important leader in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). He was the head of this church in Ukraine from 1992 until he passed away in 2014. His official title was His Beatitude Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine. He led the only Ukrainian Church that was officially recognized by other Orthodox Churches around the world.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Viktor Sabodan was born on November 23, 1935. He grew up in a farming family in a place called Markivtsi, which is now in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast region of Ukraine.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Viktor studied to become a religious leader. He went to theological schools in Odessa and later in Leningrad (which is now called St. Petersburg).
After finishing his studies in 1965, he became the head of the Odessa Theological Seminary. He was also given the title of Archimandrite, which is a high rank for a monk in the Orthodox Church. In 1966, he worked for the Russian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem.
Becoming a Bishop and Metropolitan
In 1966, Viktor Sabodan became a Bishop of Zvenigorod. A Bishop is a senior leader in the church. He was officially made a Bishop on July 9, 1966, by Patriarch Pimen I of Moscow. This special ceremony took place at the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, a famous monastery.
Later, in 1969, he became the Bishop of Chernihiv. He also temporarily managed the Sumy area for the church. In 1973, he was promoted to Archbishop of Moscow and became the head of the Moscow Theological Academy.
In 1982, he was appointed to the Rostov-on-Don area and was given the even higher title of Metropolitan. From 1984, he was a special representative for the Patriarch in Western Europe. He also became a permanent member of the Holy Synod, which is like the main governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Leading the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
In 1992, Metropolitan Volodymyr was chosen to lead the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). This happened at a special meeting called the Kharkiv Council. He became the Metropolitan of Kyiv and the leader of the entire Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He took over from Metropolitan Filaret.
Metropolitan Volodymyr wrote many important papers about theology, which is the study of religious faith. Most of his writings were collected into a six-volume set published in the late 1990s.
He enjoyed singing and collected recordings of Ukrainian folk songs. He also collected stamps and postcards.
In 2008, Metropolitan Volodymyr led a special service to bless the altar and temple inside the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which is the Ukrainian parliament building. In 2011, he was given the high honor of Hero of Ukraine.
Death
Metropolitan Volodymyr passed away on July 5, 2014, at the age of 78. After his death, Metropolitan Onuphrius was chosen to be his successor in August 2014.
Awards and Honors
Metropolitan Volodymyr received several important awards for his service:
- Hero of Ukraine (The Order of the State) (2011)
- The Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (received different classes of this award in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2008)
See also
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
- History of Christianity in Ukraine
