Syosset, New York, September 22, 2020
Photo: wikimedia.org According to a recent statement, His Beatitude Metropolitan Theodosius, the retired primate of the Orthodox Church in America, “is drawing near to the end of his earthly sojourn.”
On September 18, Archpriest Alexander Rentel, the Chancellor of the OCA, stated:
The health of His Beatitude Metropolitan Theodosius has taken a markedly worse turn. He seems to be drawing near to the end of his earthly sojourn. His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon calls upon the faithful of the Orthodox Church in America to offer prayers to the Physician and Healer of Souls, our Lord Jesus Christ, for Metropolitan Theodosius, for his family, and for those caring and ministering to him.
Met. Theodosius was consecrated as the bishop of Alaska in May 1967. In May 1970, he headed the delegation that received the OCA’s tomos of autocephaly in Moscow.
In 1972, he was reassigned as the bishop of Pittsburg and Western Pennsylvania. In 1977, he was elected as the primate of the OCA, and served in that capacity until July 21, 2002, when he retired due to poor health.
See his full biography on the site of the Orthodox Church in America.
