Volodymyr Sabodan

Volodymyr Sabodan
Metropolitan of Kiev and all Ukraine
Church	Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
Elected	May 27, 1992
Predecessor	Filaret Denysenko
Successor	incumbent
Orders
Ordination	June 15, 1962
Consecration	July 9, 1966 by Pimen I of Moscow
Personal details
Born	November 23, 1935 (1935-11-23) (age 75) Markivtsi, Khmelnytskyi region

Metropolitan Volodymyr (also known as Vladimir) (secular name Viktor Sabodan, born November 23, 1935) is the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) (UOC-MP). Metropolitan Volodymyr's official title is : His Beatitude Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kiev and all Ukraine. As head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), he is the head of the only Ukrainian Church inside Ukraine to have canonical standing (legal recognition) in Eastern Orthodoxy worldwide.

Early life

Viktor Sabodan was born in a peasant family in Khmelnytskyi region.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s he studied at Odessa and later Leningrad Theological Seminary.

In 1965 he completed the post-graduate course at the Moscow Theological Academy and was appointed Rector of the Odessa Theological Seminary and elevated to the rank of Archimandrite. In 1966 he was appointed Deputy Head of the Russian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem.

Episcopacy

In 1966 he was appointed Bishop of Zvenigorod. His episcopal consecration was conferred on July 9, 1966 by Pimen I of Moscow in the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. In 1969 he was nominated Bishop of Chernihiv and temporary administrator of Sumy Diocese. On September 9, 1973 he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop of Moscow Diocese and Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary. On July 16, 1982 he was appointed to Rostov-on-Don Diocese and elevated to the rank of Metropolitan. From 1984 he was Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe, and from 1987, a permanent member of the Holy Synod, Chancellor of Moscow Patriarchate. In 1992, he was elected by the Kharkiv Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as Metropolitan of Kiev, and Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Later than year he was enthroned as Metropolitan of Kiev and all Ukraine, replacing Metropolitan Filaret who was excommunicated for participating in schismatic activities.

He is the author of numerous research papers on theology, the majority of which were included in the six-volume edition of his works published in 1997–1998.

Metropolitan Volodymyr enjoys singing and collects recordings of Ukrainian folk songs as well as stamps and postcards. He has no objections to a good meal.

In January 2008, Metropolitan Volodymyr performed the service of consecration of the altar and temple in Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.^[1]

State awards

• Hero of Ukraine (The Order of the State) (2011)
• The Order of Liberty (2010)
• The Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise 1st (2008), 2nd (2005), 3rd (2002), 4th (2000) and 5th (1999) cl.

See also

• Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
• History of Christianity in Ukraine

References

1. ^ "KYIV. His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr consecrated the church at the Supreme Rada of Ukraine", Official Press secretary, January 2008

External links

• Metropolitan Volodymyr

Persondata
Name	Volodymyr
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	November 23, 1935
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death