Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin)

Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin) (1949-____)

German may be spelt Herman.

Kliment may be spelt Clement, Clément.

Early life of German Mikhailovich Kapalin

On 7 August, 1949, German Mikhailovich Kapalin was born to Mikhail Gerasimovich Kapalin (1914-1967) and Maria Alekseevny (born in 1916, later Schema-monk Maria, that is, schema-nun).

They were a working-class family living in the Ramenskoye Town of the Moscow province in the Soviet Union (USSR). German was the third of 4 sons born to Mikhail and Maria. They were all raised within the bosom of the Russian Orthodox Church.

His eldest brother, Nikolai Popov (1942), was later married, but he eventually was tonsured as Monk Pafnuti. His elder brother, Vitaly (1946-2006) was tonsured as Monk Vasily, and he was eventually ordained to the Holy Priesthood, and later elevated to the dignity of archimandrite. His younger brother Alexei Mikhailovich Kapalin (1952) was tonsured as Monk Dmitri ; he was eventually ordained to the Holy Priesthood and then to the Holy Episcopate, and later elevated to the dignity of metropolitan. All the brothers had become monks in accordance with the direction of their father.

German completed his primary and secondary schooling in his home town.

Higher education

After completing his basic education, German entered the Moscow machine-building technical school.

In 1970, German entered the second class (second year) of the Moscow Theological Seminary.

Moscow Theological Seminary and Academy

Military service

From 1970 to 1972, he fulfilled the compulsory service in the Soviet Army. He then continued his studies at the seminary.

Further study

In 1974, German graduated from the seminary and enrolled in the Moscow Theological Academy.

In 1977, German Kapalin participated in the work of the World Orthodox Youth Organisation “Syndesmos” and the Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe (ESME).

In 1978, German graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy with a Ph.D. in theology. The title of his thesis was : “Spiritual Appearance and Behaviour of the Shepherd”.

He was kept on at the Academy, and he was assigned to serve as an assistant inspector, and as a teacher in the distance-learning sector.

Monastic tonsure, 1978

On 7 December, 1978, the Inspector of the Academy, Archimandrite Alexander (Timofeyev), tonsured German to be a monk and gave him the name Clement (Kliment) in honour of the first century hieromartyr, Saint Clement, Bishop of Rome.

Diaconal ordination, 1978

On 24 December, 1978, Monk Kliment (Kapalin) was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Archbishop Vladimir (Sabodan) of Dmitrovsk.

Presbyteral ordination, 1979

On April 7, 1979, Hierodeacon Kliment (Kapalin) was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Archbishop Vladimir (Sabodan).

Pastoral service

In the same year, Hieromonk Kliment was assigned to serve as the Professor of General Church History in the Moscow Theological Seminary.

On 14 October, 1981, Hieromonk Kliment (Kapalin) was elevated to the dignity of igumen by Archbishop Vladimir (Sabodan).

In 1981-1982, Igumen Kliment (Kapalin) served as the Senior Assistant Inspector of the Moscow Theological Seminary.

In 1981, he was elected to be the patriarchate’s representative for the Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe (ESME).

In 1982, Igumen Kliment (Kapalin) was chosen by the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate to become a bishop.

On 18 July, 1982, Igumen Kliment (Kapalin) was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite by Patriarch Pimen (Izvekov) in the Holy Trinity Sobor of the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra.

Holy Trinity Sobor, Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra

Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra

Episcopal ordination, 1982

On 8 August, 1982, in the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Minsk, Byelorus, Archimandrite Kliment (Kapalin) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate by Metropolitan Filaret (Vakhromeyev) of Minsk and all Byelorus (who partly retired in 2013), Archbishop Nikodim (Rusnak) of Kharkiv and Bohoduhovskiy, Bishop Herman (Timofeev) of Tula and Belevskiy, and Bishop Athanasius (Kuduk) of Pinsk.

Holy Spirit Cathedral, Minsk

Episcopal service

Bishop Kliment (Kapalin) was immediately assigned to be the Bishop of Serpukhov, (Moscow Province), and a Vicar-Bishop of the Moscow Diocese.

Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Serpukhov

Transfer to North America, 1982

In August, 1982, Bishop Kliment (Kapalin), as Bishop of Serpukhov, was appointed to be the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada and temporarily also of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA.

Saint Barbara's Cathedral, Edmonton, Alberta

On 23 March, 1987, Bishop Kliment (Kapalin) was released from the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada, and he was appointed to be the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA.

Saint Nicholas Cathedral, New York City

On 19 May, 1989 by a decree of Patriarch Pimen (Izvekov) of Moscow, Bishop Kliment (Kapalin) was elevated to the dignity of archbishop.

Archbishop Kliment (Kapalin)

Return to Russia, 1990

On 20 July, 1990, Archbishop Kliment (Kapalin) was transferred, and he was assigned to be the Archbishop of the Diocese of Kaluga and Borovsk, in the Kaluga Province.

The Cathedral Temple of this diocese is Holy Trinity Cathedral.

Cathedral Temple of the Holy Trinity, Kaluga

At the same time, Archbishop Kliment was assigned to serve as the First Deputy Head of the Department for External Church Relations.

During 1993-1996, he served as a member of the Public (Civic) Chamber under the President of the Russian Federation, Boris N Yeltsin.

During the years 1997-2000, Archbishop Kliment (Kapalin) represented the Russian Orthodox Church in the Inter-Orthodox Commission for the preparation of the Pan-Orthodox Celebration of the 2000th Anniversary of the Birth of Christ. He chaired the Secretariat for the preparation and conduct of the celebrations.

Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate, 2003

On 26 December, 2003, Archbishop Kliment (Kapalin) was assigned to serve as the Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate (the highest ranking officer, responsible for the good operation of all the departments and offices, always under the blessing of Patriarch Aleksey II (Ridiger)), and he was made a permanent member of the Holy Synod.

Metropolitan Kliment as chancellor

On 25 February, 2004, Archbishop Kliment was elevated to the dignity of metropolitan.

From October 2005, he was a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation (an advisory body).

From January 2006, he was the Chairman of the “Commission for the Conservation of the Spiritual and Cultural Heritage” of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation. He was the Chairman of the “Organising Committee of International Educational Nativity Readings”. He chaired the "Organising Committee for the Preparation and Holding of the 'Spiritual and Moral Foundations of the Demographic Development of Russia'" (October, 2004) ; the “Festival of the Orthodox Faith and the Word 'Media'” (November, 2004) ; and the “Celebration of the 625th Anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo” (May-November 2005).

On 25 January, 2009, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow elected Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin) to be one of the 3 candidates for the Moscow Patriarchal Throne (after the repose of Patriarch Aleksey II (Ridiger) in the previous month).

On 27 January, 2009, at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow, Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin) received 169 votes out of 677. Metropolitan Kirill (Gundyaev) received the greatest number of the 3 candidates.

Chairman of the Publications Board of the Moscow Patriarchate, 2009

On 31 March, 2009, the Holy Synod released Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin) from the responsibilities of managing the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate (Journal No. 18) as its chancellor, and he was assigned to serve as the Chairman of the Publications Board of the Russian Orthodox Church.

On 21 January, 2010, by the decision of the dissertation council of the Russian Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation, Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin) was awarded the academic degree of Candidate of Historical Sciences (speciality “Domestic History”). He had previously successfully defended his thesis on the theme “The Activity of the Russian Orthodox Church in Alaska in 1741-1867”.

Chairman of the Commission of the Inter-Council Presence for the organisation of Church social work activities and charity, 2010

On 29 January, 2010, Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin) was elected to be Chairman of the Commission of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church for the organisation of Church social work activities and charity.

On 22 March, 2011, Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin) was appointed to be a member of the Higher Church Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.

On 29 May, 2013, the decision of the Holy Synod assigned Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin) to be the Rector of the Kaluga Theological Seminary (Journal No. 61). It also approved his appointment to be the Abbot of the Pafnutyevo Men’s Monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin in the town of Borovsk in the Kaluga Province (Journal No. 67). He was assigned also to be the Abbot of the Tikhonov Kaluga Male Hermitage of the Dormition of the Theotokos in the Lev Tolstoi Dzerzhinsky district of the Kaluga Province.

From October, 2013, until May, 2014, Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin) was assigned to serve as the locum tenens of the Pesochen Diocese.

On 25 July, 2014, after hearing the report of Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin) of Kaluga and Borovsk (Chairman of the Commission for Church Social Activity and Charity of the Inter-council Presence), the Holy Synod approved the document, “The Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church for the Promoting of Sobriety and the Prevention of Alcoholism” (Journal No. 80).

On 16 September, 2014, Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin) defended his thesis for the degree of Doctor of Historical Sciences on the theme “The Russian Orthodox Church and the Development of the Pacific North in the 18th-19th centuries (according to the materials of Alaska)”.

Defending the doctoral thesis, 2014

Metropolitan Kliment gave a speech at the Astrakhan Orthodox National Forum on 21 September, 2015.

Metropolitan Kliment became a member of the Joint Dissertation Council (D 999.073.04) on the theology of the Church-wide postgraduate and doctoral studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius, at the Saint Tikhon Orthodox Humanitarian University, Moscow State University, and the Russian Academy of the National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation.

On 17 January, 2016, after the Divine Liturgy had been served in the Dormition Temple of Kaluga, Metropolitan Kliment sanctified and inaugurated the local Spiritual and Educational Cultural Centre, erected next to this Temple. There had been a previous controversy on the part of certain officials and architects, who opposed its construction on that particular site. They argued that it ought to be constructed elsewhere, since the new building would obscure the beauty of the existing Temple. However, objections were overcome, and Vladyka Kliment arrived for the official opening.

Opening of the cultural centre, Kaluga, 2016

Holy Dormition Sobor, Kaluga

On 1 February, 2017, by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin) was included in the organisational committee established for the implementation of the programme of general Church activities for the 100th anniversary of the Era of Persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Chairman of the Commission of the Inter-Assembly Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church on matters of public life, culture, science and information, 2018

On 15 October, 2018, Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin) was elected to be the chairman of the Commission of the Inter-Assembly Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church on matters of public life, culture, science and information.

In 2019, Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin) received the "Order of Merit to the Fatherland", third degree, from President Vladimir V Putin.

Receiving the "Order of Merit to the Fatherland

— Bishop of Serpukhov 1982-1987. Preceded by : Bishop Ireney (Seredniy). Succeeded by : Bishop Ilian (Vostryakov).

— Vicar-Bishop of the Moscow Diocese 1982-1989.

— Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate Parishes in Canada 1982-1987. Preceded by : Bishop Ireney (Seredniy). Succeeded by : Bishop Nikolai (Shkrumko).

— Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate Parishes in the USA 1987-1990. Succeeded by : Archbishop Makary (Svistun) (as Archbishop of Klin).

— Archbishop of Serpukhov 1989-1990.

— Vicar-Archbishop of the Moscow Diocese 1989-1990.

— Archbishop of Kaluga and Borovsk 1990-2004.

— Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk 2004-____. Preceded by : Bishop Ilian (Vostryakov). Succeeded by : ____.

Reflections

Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin) grew up in a particularly Orthodox Christian environment. It was exceptional in many ways because of the atheistic-communistic environment of his early years. Yet, it was what might be considered typical of Orthodox Christian formation in a normal environment. Everyone (parents and children) served the Lord with whole-hearted love and devotion, and the fruit of their lives have borne witness to this love.

Despite the many obstacles that faced any believer during Soviet days (especially during the harsh oppression under Mr. Nikita S Khrushchev), the then German Mikhailovich pursued his course with determination so that he might give his whole life to the service of Christ in the Church.

From his experience in Canada and the USA in North America, he gained experience of the fruits of the missionary and pastoral activities of the Russian Orthodox Church before the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Since he became a prolific writer, the missionary activities in Alaska (Russian-America) and North America became the subject of some of his writing.

Vladyka Kliment became a prolific writer about a wide range of subjects, which all express in their way the title of his thesis, “Spiritual Appearance and Behaviour of the Shepherd”. His pastoral writings are very much concerned with the spiritual formation of the people, and with supporting their lives of repentance in Christ.

Vladyka Kliment, very much a hard-working servant of the Church, served diligently as the Chancellor of the Russian Orthodox Church at the time of Patriarch Aleksey II (Ridiger). Indeed, in whatever obedience he has been given in the life of the Church, he seems to have done what was asked of him to the best of the gifts given him by the Lord.

The Diocese of Kaluga itself (on top of all his other responsibilities) was and is a large responsibility that demands wisdom in its administration. Besides the many parishes of the diocese, there are at least 10 male and female monasteries. In addition, on its territory, there are well-known stavropegial monasteries that are directly under the omophor of the patriarch : the Optino Meeting of the Lord Men's Monastery, and the Kazan Icon of the Theotokos Women's Monastery of Shamordino.

Awards :

State awards :

• 1988 - Order of Friendship of Peoples

• 1997 - Medal of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow

• 2000 - Order of Honour

• 2009 - Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 4th degree

• 2010 - Medal "65 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945"

Awards of citizens of the Russian Federation :

• 2004 - Medal "60 Years of the Kaluga Region"

• 2005 - Medal “For Special Merit for the Kaluga Region”, 3rd degree

• 2007 - Medal “For Special Merit for the Kaluga Region”, 2nd degree

• 2007 - Medal "For the Contribution to the Cause of the Perpetuation of the Memory of the Defenders of the Land of Kaluga", 1st degree

• 2007 - Diploma of the President of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

• 2008 - Honourary Citizen of the Kaluga Region

• 2009 - Anniversary medal "65 Years of the Kaluga Region"

Church awards of the Russian Orthodox Church :

• 1986 - Order of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, 2nd degree

• 1996 - Order of the Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow, 2nd degree

• 1999 - Order of Saint Innocent of Moscow, 2nd degree

• 2000 - Order of the Martyr Tryphon, 2nd degree

• 2004 - Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, 2nd degree

• 2007 - Order of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, 2nd degree

• 2009 - Order of Saint Alexis of Moscow, 2nd degree

• 2009 - Prize in Memory of Metropolitan Macarius (Bulgakov)

• 2017 - Medal for Sacrificial Works (Izhevsk Diocese)

• 2018 - Medal for 25 Years of the Kemerovo Diocese

Orders of the Local Orthodox Churches :

• 1989 - Order of Saint Herman of Alaska of the Diocese of Alaska of The Orthodox Church in America

• 1997 - Order of the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood, 1st degree, Church of Jerusalem

• 1998 - Order of Saint Clement of Ohrid, 1st degree, Church of Bulgaria

• 2000 - Order of the Apostle Mark of Alexandria, 1st degree.

Social awards :

• 2001 and 2003 - National Award of the Russian Biographical Institute in the nomination "Man of the Year"

• 2002 - Medal "For the Contribution to the Heritage of the Peoples of Russia"

• 2005 - Medal of the European Committee for UN Awards and Awards S Witte "For outstanding Services to the Peoples"

• 2006 - Golden Honourary Badge "Public Recognition"

• 2008 - Order "For Benefit to the Fatherland", 1st degree

• 2008 - National Prize for the "Best Books and Publishers of the Year 2008", regarding the book : "Russian Orthodox Church in Alaska before 1917"

• 2009 - Order “For Benefit to the Fatherland”, 4th degree

• 2009 - Order of "Unity" in honour of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the UN

• 2010 - Jubilee Medal : "50th Anniversary of the Exploration of human Space"

• 2014 - National Award for the “Best Books and Publishers of the Year 2013”

• 2016 - Anniversary Medal “120 Years since the Birth of G K Zhukov”

• 2018 - Order of the Minister of the Interior of the Russian Empire, V K Spit

• 2019 - Order of Merit to the Fatherland, Third Degree

Writings

Interviews :

• ‘Love to serve’ in “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” : Interview of Metropolitan Kliment, Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate (13 January, 2009)

• Answers from Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsky to questions from visitors to the website of the Synodal Information Department (18 May, 2012)

• Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk about the saints who shone in the land of Kaluga (20 August, 2012)

• Feofanovsky Project : Interview of Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk (19 March, 2012)

Academic works and publications :

• “Russian Orthodox Church in Alaska before 1917” (Moscow : OLMA Media Group, 2009), 608 pages, Monograph.

• ‘The Missionary Service of the Russian Orthodox Church in Alaska’ in “Theological- Historical Collection”, no. 1 (2003).

• ‘St. Innocent (Benjamin) and the Emergence of the Aleut Book Culture’ in “Library Science”, no. 5 (2009), pp. 72-79.

• ‘The special Features of the missionary Activity of St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow, during his Ministry in Kamchatka and Alaska’ in “Church Bulletin”, no. 23 (2005), p. 324.

• ‘Origins of Orthodoxy in Alaska’ in “200 Years of Russian-American Relations” (2007).

• ‘On the Causes of the Conflict of the first Missionaries in Alaska and the Administration of the Russian-American Company’ in “Bulletin of the Pomeranian University”, no. 2 (2010), p. 17-21.

• ‘On the Question of the Participation of Clergy in the Second Kamchatka Expedition’ in “Bulletin of the Tambov University, Humanities Series” (Tambov, 2010) vol. 2, no. 82, pp. 219-224.

• ‘History of Kodiak Vicariate and Synodal Mission Management in Alaska’ in “Tambov University Bulletin, Humanities Series”, vol. 3, no. 83 (Tambov, 2010), pp. 307-316.

• ‘Favour to inform us of the opinion of Your Grace : Letters of Captain-Commander V Bering to Bishop Innokenty (Neronovich) of Irkutsk and Nerchensky, 1734-1735’ in “Historical Archive”, no. 3 (2010), pp. 199-206.

• ‘Distribution of Russian spiritual Culture among the Tlingit Indians during the Period of Russian America’ in “Bulletin of Tyumen State University : Series History, Philology”, no. 1 (Tyumen, 2010), pp. 119-126.

• ‘Distribution of Russian spiritual Culture among the Tlingit Indians during the Period of Russian America’ in “Scientific Notes of the Russian State Social University”, no. 2 (2010), pp. 6-10.

Publications :

• "Spiritual Appearance and Behaviour of the Shepherd" (Ph.D. thesis).

• "In the Land of holy Memories" (Kaluga : Publishing House of the Kaluga Theological Seminary, 2004).

• "Increase in Faith" [Autobiographical notes and theological articles] (2009).

• "The Mission of the Church Today" (2003).

• 'Orthodox Alaska' in "Russian Who's Who", no. 5 (2006), p. 56.

• 'Worldview and Lifestyle of modern Youth' in "Sixth Educational Christmas : Christmas Readings" (Collection of Reports, Obninsk, 2004), pp. 9-19.

• 'The Tasks of the Orthodox Media and the moral Responsibility of the Journalist' in "Materials of the First International Festival of Orthodox Mass Media, November 16-18, 2004" (Moscow : Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2005), pp. 37-49.

• 'The Well-being of Society consists in the Strength of Faith, in spiritual, moral Growth' in "Spiritual and moral Foundations of the demographic Development of Russia (materials of the Church-Public Forum) October 18-19, 2004" (Moscow, 2005), pp. 11-18.

• 'Speech at the Enthronement of the Bishop of Serpukhov' in "Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate", no. 10 (1982), p. 6.

• ‘The Kireevsky Brothers : the Path of Christian Formation’ in "Ivan and Peter Kireevsky in Russian Culture" (Kaluga : Publishing Grif., 2001), pp. 5-10.

• 'Missionary Service of the Russian Orthodox Church in Alaska' in "The Theological-historical Collection" (Kaluga : Publishing House of the Kaluga Theological Seminary), no. 1 (2003), pp. 35-78.

• 'Saint Innocent and the Dawn of the Orthodox Mission in Alaska' in "The Theological-historical Collection" (Kaluga : Publishing House of the Kaluga Theological Seminary), no. 2 (2004), pp. 35-126.

• 'Orthodox Family in the Formation of the Russian State' in "The Seventh Educational Christmas : Christmas Readings", (Collection of Reports, Obninsk, 2004), pp. 5-9.

• “Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk : "People need personal Contact with the Clergy" (26 June, 2008).

• "The Russian Orthodox Church and the Development of the Pacific North in the 18th-19th centuries" [Doctoral Dissertation listed in the Russian Presidential Library. (in English ; based on Alaska materials)]

• “Orthodoxy in Russian America”

There are numerous publications in the central and local press, both ecclesiastical and secular, some of which are available here. (translated to English)