Vincent Morar Explained

Metropolitan Vincent Morar
Birth Date:4 December 1953
Birth Place:Sculeni, Moldavian SSR, USSR
Church:Russian Orthodox Church
Education:Moscow Theological Academy
Citizenship:Moldova
Russia

Vincent (Vikenty, Vichentie, Russian: Викентий; born Viktor Aleksandrovich Morar or Morari or Moraru, on December 4, 1953), is a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church. He serves as Metropolitan of Tashkent and Uzbekistan and he is a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Life

Victor Moraru was born in Sculeni, Moldavian SSR. His father was an orthodox priest. He wanted to become a physician, but because of his family's religiosity, he chose to become a priest.[1] In 1981 he was tonsured a monk in honour of saint Vincent of Saragossa. In 1982 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy.

On July 20, 1990, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church elected Vincent Morari as Bishop of Bender (Tighina). The ceremony was held by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow. Wincenty has been involved in the establishment and development of the Teological Seminary at the Noul Neamț Monastery in Chițcani, which is currently the largest spiritual and educational center of the Chisinau Metropolis. This period also coincided with the Gagauz independence movement and with the war in Transnistria. He sees the Transnistrian conflict as an incomprehensible war, in which, according to him, they fought "son against father, brother against brother", describing the people who fought on both sides as "our soldiers".[2]

Along with Vladimir Cantarean, he was a strong opponent of the reactivation of the Metropolis of Bessarabia (under the leadership of Peter (Păduraru)) within the Romanian Orthodox Church, even persecuting some of its believers.

In July 1995, he was appointed by the Holy Synod bishop of Abakan and Kyzyl. In February 1999 he was raised to the rank of Archbishop and in July that year he was elected Archbishop of Yekaterinburg and Verhotursk. He also became rector of the Ekaterinburg Theological Seminary.

The local press in Ekaterinburg repeatedly accused him of a tendency toward "luxury", especially because "in the face of poverty in Russia", he sat in a “Tsarist seat”, to which Archbishop Wincenty replied: “the terrible catastrophe in Russia has happened from this imaginary struggle with poverty - the revolution. If we are discussing this, then we should all sit down in misery."[3] [4] [5]

On July 27, 2011, by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was appointed Bishop of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, head of the newly formed Central Asian Metropolitan District. In matters concerning the Central Asian Metropolitan District, as well as during liturgical commemoration in dioceses other than those headed by himself, he titled as Metropolitan of Central Asia. In addition, he was entrusted with the temporary management of the newly formed Bishkek and Dushanbe Diocese.[6]

Although active in Russia and Central Asia, Wincenty continued to visit Moldova and engage in the life of the local Orthodox Church.[7] [8] [9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Юбилей митрополита Викентия – 60 лет со дня рождения - Религия - Новости - Россия в Кыргызстане.
  2. Web site: Юбилей митрополита Викентия – 60 лет со дня рождения - Религия - Новости - Россия в Кыргызстане.
  3. Web site: Отвечая на вопрос о золотом мобильнике, архиепископ Викентий указал на то, что вредит единству общества. 6 March 2008.
  4. Web site: Главу РПЦ на Урале обвинили в роскоши за то, что он восседает "на троне". 11 June 2008.
  5. Web site: Un Mitropolit moldovean ar fi acumulat datorii de milioane în Rusia.
  6. Web site: Решением Священного Синода образован Среднеазиатский митрополичий округ . 2011-07-27 . 2011-10-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111002062841/http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/1586495.html . live .
  7. Web site: ÎPS Mitropolit Vichentie de Tașkent și Uzbekistan a vizitat Sfânta Mănăstire Ciuflea. 30 November 2018.
  8. Web site: Prinos de rugăciune pentru vrednicii de pomenire Egumenul Patrocl și Monahia Parascheva. 2 November 2016.
  9. Web site: В праздник Введения во храм Пресвятой Богородицы Предстоятель Русской Церкви совершил Божественную литургию в Большом соборе Донского монастыря и возглавил хиротонию архимандрита Феодосия (Гажу) во епископа Бишкекского / Новости / Патриархия.ru.