Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, passed away on this day in 1867. I cannot think of any Russian bishop whose significance and involvement in groundbreaking times even gets close to that of Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov). He was born into a clergyman family in 1782, during the reign of Empress Catherine II (the Great). Vasilii (his baptismal name) went to the seminary at Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra during the time of Metropolitan Platon (Levshin) of Moscow. Fr. Georges Florovsky in his Ways of Russian Theology wrote that “Metropolitan Filaret of Moscow, speaking about his own school days, noted that clerical youths ‘from the lowest grades to the highest prepared themselves for church service more through fortitude and endurance than because they possessed any material advantage.’” Metropolitan Platon was tutor to Crown Prince Alexander and a great advocate of education. Vasilii Drozdov, who showed great ability, stayed on to teach Hebrew and Biblical Greek after his graduation in 1803. In 1809, he became a professor at Saint Petersburg Seminary. In 1817, Archimandrite Philaret was consecrated Bishop of Revel, a vicar of the Saint Petersburg Diocese. In 1821, St. Philaret became Archbishop of Moscow. In contrast with his predecessors, he offered a lively change, having been available to serve in cities' churches often. However, there were complaints that his sermons were too complicated for the audience. On a personal level, Metropolitan Philaret was perceived as a remote. He was a sole figure, without friends, good about keeping his “poker face.” Instructors of Moscow Theological Seminary did not like his visits during exams because he might have asked to turn to them with questions. The first significant moment in St. Philaret’s life related to the sudden death of Emperor Alexander I. Archbishop Philaret composed the manifesto about transferring the crown from Grand Duke Constantine to his brother, whom Philaret crowned as Emperor Nicholas I. Metropolitan Philaret’s resolutions reflect his clear-thinking process and canonical analysis. His catechesis, published in 1823, still enjoys the unprecedented de facto status of a so-called “symbolic” (or credal) book of the faith. Metropolitan Philaret’s involvement with the Russian Bible Society, in which representatives of all major Christian denominations of Russia participated, cost him his reputation. Some accused Philaret of being a freemason. During the reign of Nicholas I, the idea of disseminating the Bible in the vernacular was perceived as a dangerous innovation. The Sacred Writ should be revered within the liturgical context and interpreted through the sermon. According to this opinion, cheap, widely accessible Bibles would result in the desacralization of Holy Scripture. There is a Russian saying that “one should live long in Russia,” meaning someone who did would see various changes succeeding and undoing each other. St. Philaret never agreed that Russian is inferior to Church Slavonic for translating Holy Scripture. As a result of St. Philaret’s initiative, the Synodal (Russian) text of Bible was published after his repose. Metropolitan Philaret was directly involved with another significant milestone in Russian history: the emancipation of the serfs in 1861. St. Philaret drafted the manifesto of granting the serfs civil rights. Metropolitan Philaret did not leave many writings after himself. Nevertheless, he became one of the greatest theologians of the Russian Church. | 
