Zaporozhye, Ukraine, December 2, 2022
Photo: hramzp.ua
The oldest hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Eminence Archbishop Vasily (Zlatolinsky), reposed in the Lord yesterday.
His Eminence was 91 years old, reports the UOC’s Information-Education Department.
He served the Church as an ordained cleric for 56 years, including 32 years as a hierarch.
“The ever-memorable Archbishop Basil was gifted with many gifts and talents, and he didn’t bury them in the ground, but developed them throughout his life,” writes the press service of the Diocese of Zaporozhye, where Vladyka served for nearly two decades.
“He was also adorned with deep prayerfulness, complete humility and sensitivity to the Creator. He lived a very intense spiritual life… In his zealous service to God and the Church, he can be compared to those who, like the Apostle Paul and other great pastors, laid down their souls for the flock.”
His funeral will be served tomorrow at the Holy Protection Cathedral in Zaporozhye.
May Abp. Vasily’s memory be eternal!
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Abp. Vasily was born on November 12, 1932, in Tashkent. In September 1954, he began studies at the Moscow Theological Seminary. In 1956, he was ordained a deacon, and after graduation, he was ordained a priest in 1957, and served in the Kyrgyz and Uzbek SSRs.
In 1979, he took monastic vows and then served in the Dioceses of Poltava, Dnepropetrovsk, and Crimea.
On December 2, 1990, he was consecrated Bishop of Simferopol and Crimea. This was the first episcopal consecration after the Ukrainian Exarchate was transformed into the autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
On June 20, 1992, he was appointed Bishop of the newly established Diocese of Zaporozhye and Melitopol. By Pascha 1997, he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop.
On April 14, 2009, the UOC Holy Synod granted him retirement for health reasons.
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