MELETY (Zaborovsky), Metropolitan of Harbin

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MELETIUS (Zaborovsky)

English Translation by Igor Radev

courtesy of Abp HILARION
of Sydney & Australia

Surname, Name, Patronymic: Zaborovsky Mikhail

Rank: Metropolitan

Place of Birth: Tobolsk Province
- reposed in Harbin

Date of Birth: July 7, 1869, XIX Century

Date of Tonsure: 1898, XIX Century

Date of Consecration: November 22, 1908, XX Century

Date of Repose: March 24/April 6, 1946, XX Century

Church Affiliation: Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia - 1945, XX Century;

Russian Orthodox Church 1945, XX Century

Biography

from Harbin—Russian Enclave

courtesy of RusHarbin.com

MELETIUS (Zaborovsky Mikhail), Metropolitan of Harbin and Manchuria.
He was born on July 7, 1869, in Tobolsk Province into a family of a priest.
In 1889, he graduated from Tobolsk Seminary and during the same year, on October 8, he entered into priesthood.
In 1891, he became widower.
In 1898, he was tonsured a monk.
In 1899, he graduated from the Kazan Spiritual Academy holding a PhD in Theology and was appointed deputy overseer of the Sarapulsk Spiritual School.
In 1900, he was made headmaster of the Biysk Missionary Catechetic School.
In 1904, he was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite.
In 1906, he became rector of Tomsk Spiritual Seminary.
On November 21, 1908, he was consecrated Bishop of Barnaul, Vicar Bishop of Tomsk Diocese. The consecration was held in the city of Tomsk. The rite of consecration was performed by Archbishop Macarius of Tomsk, Bishop Euthymius of Yenisey and Bishop Innokenty of Biysk.
From February 23, 1912, served as Bishop of Yakutsk and Vilyuysk;
and from January 26, 1916, as Bishop of Trans-Baikal and Nerchinsk.
In 1920, he became Bishop of Harbin.
In 1930, by the Synod of ROCOR he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop of Trans-Baikal and Nerchinsk residing in the city of Harbin.
From 1931, after the repose of Metropolitan Methodius, he headed the newly formed Harbin Diocese.
In 1939, he was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan of Harbin and Manchuria by the Synod of ROCOR.
He reposed on April 6 (new style), 1946 in Harbin and put to rest at the Holy Dormition Missionary church.
During one period of the Japanese occupation of Manchuria (1943-1944), he together with the other pastors and the flock has protected Orthodoxy from the pagan influence of the Japanese, who were trying to force the Russian community to bow before the idol of the Japanese goddess Amaterasu. Due to his efforts, Pastoral Theological Courses were held, the Theological Faculty of St Vladimir Institute was formed, the Spiritual Academy was established, the Brotherhood of St John the Theologian was organized, liturgical books were published, relief centers for the poor were opened and four monasteries in Manchuria were started.

Works:

Speech on the occasion of conferring the scepter to the Vicar Bishop of Trans-Baikal Diocese, His Eminence Ephraim, Bishop of Seleninsk, at the St Alexander of Neva Cathedral in Chita, November 20, 1916. "Remarks to the Church News", 1916, №51, pg. 1199.
"On Asceticism", following the works of Bishop Ignatius (Bryanchaninov). (his thesis)

Bibliography:

March 1941

"Church News" 1908, № 42, pg. 325.
- " - 1912, № 9, pg. 55.
- " - 1916, № 6, pg. 33.
"Remarks to the Church News" 1909, № 3, pg. 140-144.
- " - 1913, № 23, pg. 1100.
- " - 1916, № 51, pg. 1199.
"Church Gazette" 1908, № 40, pg. 1853.
"Russian Pilgrim " 1910, № 8, pg. 119.
"ZH.M.P."[Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate] 1946, № 5, pg. 119.
- " - 1949, № 11, pg. 8.
- " - 1959, № 5, pg. 17.
- " - 1960, № 2, pg. 33.
"Orthodox Dialogist" 1900, January, pg. 20.
- " - 1904, June, pg. 5.
- " - 1913, December, pg. 838.
"FPS" [?Faculty of St Petersburg Seminary] I, № 25, pg. 2
"FPS" III, pg. 4.
"Composition of the Holy Ruling All-Russian Synod and the Hierarchy of the Russian Church in 1917", pg. 274-275.
Bulgakov, pg. 1415.
BES t. II, stb. 2401.
Makarova-Mirskaya O.I. " Apostles of Altai ".
"Russian Orthodox Church", pg. 147.
A. Bartasev, Svetloj pamjati Vysokopreosv. Meletija, Mitropolita Charbinskago i Man'czurskago, in: Prav. Rus' 1963.16.8-9.
Archim. Polikarp, Vospominanija o prisnopamjathom Vladyke Meletii, in: Prav. Put ' 1963, 34-58.
N. Rklickij, Zizneopisanie V, 28; X, 22-25.
G. Seide, Geschichte der ROK im Ausland 21, 52, 68, 88f., 179, 186f., 190f., 417.
Cerkovnyja zizn 1934, 1, 12-13.
Chleb Nebesnyj 1939, 10, 13-23; 33-38; 53-57.