Archbishop Theophanes (, secular name Alexei Illarionovich Kim, ; born January 19, 1976) is a bishop of the

Russian Orthodox Church The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...

; he is the

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

of the Russian Orthodox diocese of Korea of the

Patriarchal Exarchate in South-East Asia The Patriarchal Exarchate in South-East Asia (PESEA, ) is an exarchate created by the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) on 28 December 2018. The primate of the PESEA is Metropolitan Sergius (Chashin) who holds the title of "Metropolitan of Singapo ...

. He is the first

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...

ancestry.

Life

Early life

He was born on 19 January, 1976 in the city of

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (, , ) is a city and the administrative center of Sakhalin Oblast, Russia. It is located on Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East, north of Japan. Gas and oil extraction as well as processing are amongst the main industries on ...

into a

Sakhalin Korean Sakhalin Koreans (; ) are Russian citizens and residents of Korean descent living on Sakhalin Island, who can trace their roots to the immigrants from the Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces of Korea during the late 1930s and early 1940s, the latt ...

family. He attended school in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, graduating from the Vostochny Lyceum in 1993. Alexei continued his education at the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk branch of the Moscow Commercial Institute, graduating in 1997. In May 1995 he was

baptized Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...

and since that time he sang in the

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

in the church of St. Innocent of Irkutsk, and then the Resurrection Cathedral in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Monastic life and ordination

On August 14, 1997, Alexei was

tonsure Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice in ...

d a

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

by Bishop Jonathan (Tsvetkov) of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and the Kuril Islands with the name Theophanes in honor of St.

Theophanes the Confessor Theophanes the Confessor (; 759 – 817 or 818) was a member of the Byzantine aristocracy who became a monk and chronicler. He served in the court of Emperor Leo IV the Khazar before taking up the religious life. Theophanes attended the Second C ...

, Bishop of

Nicea Nicaea (also spelled Nicæa or Nicea, ; ), also known as Nikaia (, Attic: , Koine: ), was an ancient Greek city in the north-western Anatolian region of Bithynia. It was the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea (the first and sevent ...

. On August 17, 1997, Theophanes, who was a monk, was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

hierodeacon A hierodeacon (Greek: Ἱεροδιάκονος, ''Ierodiákonos''; Slavonic: ''Ierodiakón''), sometimes translated "deacon-monk", in Eastern Orthodox Christianity and all other Churches that follow Byzantine Rite is a monk who has been ordained a ...

by Bishop Jonathan; Bishop Jonathan thereafter ordained him a

hieromonk A hieromonk,; Church Slavonic, Slavonic: ''Иеромонахъ''; ; ; ; ; Albanian language, Albanian: ''Hieromurg'' also called a priestmonk, is a person who is both monk and Priest#Roman Catholic and Orthodox, priest in the Eastern Christianity ...

on August 19. During 1997 and 1998, Fr. Theophanes was a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

at the in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, while serving as director of the cathedral choir and editor of the diocesan newspaper. In 1998, he went to Smolensk to study at the . During this period he was assigned to

Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk Assumption, in Christianity, refers to the Assumption of Mary, a belief in the taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven. Assumption may also refer to: Places * Assumption, Alberta, Canada * Assumption, Illinois, United States ** Assumption To ...

. In 2000 he graduated from Smolensk Theological Seminary was assigned as a priest to the

Diocese of Abakan and Kyzyl In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated ...

. In September 2000, in response to the request of the Bishop Sotirios (Trambas) of Zelon, he was sent to

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

to serve as pastor to Russian-speaking Eastern Orthodox people, being temporarily assigned as an employee of the DECR of the Moscow Patriarchate to the clergy of the New Zealand metropolis of the

Church of Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (, ; ; , "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul") is one of the fifteen to seventeen Autocephaly, autocephalous churches that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. ...

, which included Korea. To celebrate the church services in

Church Slavonic language Church Slavonic is the conservative Slavic liturgical language used by the Eastern Orthodox Church in Belarus, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia. The ...

, he was given a small underground chapel dedicated of St.

Maxim the Greek Maximus the Greek, also known as Maximos the Greek or Maksim Grek (; ; ), was a Greek monk, publicist, writer, scholar, and translator active in Russia. He is also called Maximos the Hagiorite (), as well as Maximus the Philosopher.. His signat ...

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

, but sometimes he served in other parts of

. At the time of his arrival to the country he did not speak Korean. To study the language he attended daily language classes at the

Yonsei University Yonsei University () is a Private university, private Christian university, Christian research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Yonsei is one of the three most prestigious universities in the country, part of a group referred to as SK ...

for two years. On May 16, 2001, he was awarded a

pectoral cross A pectoral cross or pectorale (from the Latin ''pectoralis'', "of the chest") is a Christian cross, cross that is worn on the chest, usually suspended from the neck by a cord or Link chain, chain. In ancient history and the Middle Ages, pector ...

at the request of Metropolitan Kirill. On May 6, 2006, he was named Honorary Citizen of Seoul. He received a diploma from the hands of the Mayor of Seoul

Lee Myung-bak Lee Myung-bak (; born 19 December 1941), often referred to by his initials MB, is a South Korean businessman and politician who served as the tenth president of South Korea from 2008 to 2013. Before his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engi ...

. On June 6, 2006, he was elevated to the rank of

hegumen Hegumen, hegumenos, or igumen (, trans. ), is the title for the head of a monastery in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, or an archpriest in the Coptic Orthodox Church, similar to the title of abbot. The head of a convent of ...

by Metropolitan Kirill at Holy Trinity Catheral of St. Daniel monastery. On October 6, 2011,

Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church () serves by Church statute as the supreme administrative governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church in the periods between Bishops' Councils. Members Chairman * Kirill – Patriarch of ...

elected him

of the newly established Diocese of Kyzyl and Tyva within the borders of the

Tyva Republic Tuva (; ) or Tyva (; ), officially the Republic of Tyva,; , is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia. Tuva lies at the geographical center of Asia, in southern Siberia. The republic borders the Federal subjects of Russia, federal sub ...

. On October 25, 2011, Archbishop Jonathan (Tsvetkov) of Abakan elevated him to the rank of

archimandrite The title archimandrite (; ), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot ('' hegumenos'', , present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") whom a bishop appointed to supervise several "ordinary" abbots and monaste ...

Bishop of Kyzyl and Tuva

October 30, 2011 at the Assumption Church in Troitse-Lykovo he was

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

to the rank of Bishop . The consecration was performed by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Ambrose (Zografos) of Korea (

), Metropolitan

Juvenal (Poyarkov) Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna (; born Vladimir Kirillovich Poyarkov (); September 22, 1935) is a hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. The metropolitans of Krutitsy (previously, ''Sarsky'') have traditionally served as auxiliar ...

of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Metropolitan Barsanuphius (Sudakov) of Saransk and Mordovia, Archbishop of Istra, Archbishop Jonathan (Tsvetkov) of Abakan and Khakassia, Archbishop

Mark (Golovkov) Metropolitan Mark (, secular name Sergey Anatolievich Golovkov, ; born 31 March 1964), is a bishop in the Russian Orthodox Church. He holds the title of "Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky, head of the Ryazan ...

of Yegoryevsk, Bishop

Sergius (Chashin) Metropolitan and Exarch Sergius of Russian Orthodox Diocese of Singapore, Singapore and Southeast Asia, South-East Asia (, secular name Nikolay Nikolayevich Chashin, ; born June 19, 1974) is a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, primate of the ...

of Solnechnogorsk, and Bishop of Voskresensk. On November 12, 2011 Bishop Theophanes came to

Kyzyl Kyzyl ( ) is the capital city of the Republic of Tuva within the Russian Federation. Kyzyl's population is approximately History The city was founded in 1914 as Belotsarsk. It was renamed Hem-Beldir from 1918 to 1926. When the city was the ca ...

, and on November 13 he celebrated his first divine liturgy after election to the Diocese of Kyzyl. At that time Eastern Orthodoxy was considered in

Tuva Tuva (; ) or Tyva (; ), officially the Republic of Tyva,; , is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia. Tuva lies at the geographical center of Asia, in southern Siberia. The republic borders the Federal subjects of Russia, federal sub ...

as a religion for ethnic Russians: if a Tuvan was to become Eastern Orthodox, they would have to forget about the culture of their ancestors and become Russian. For this reason, and also because of the lack of systematic missionary activity, the number of Tuvans who converted to Eastern Orthodoxy was insignificant, while ethnic Russians, who represented 6% of the total population of Tuva, were an ethnic minority and their number was decreasing over time. In these conditions, he began to study and master the Tuvan culture. All the Church bookstores in Tuva began to sell the Bible in Tuvan, translated by the

Institute for Bible Translation An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...

, and the translation of

liturgical text A liturgical book, or service book, is a book published by the authority of a church body that contains the text and directions for the liturgy of its official religious services. Christianity Roman Rite In the Roman Rite of the Catholic ...

s into Tuvan began. Missionaries from other regions of Russia were actively invited. On December 4, 2017, in accordance with the new regulations on the awards of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia elevated Theophanes to the rank of

in the

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (, ) is a Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow, Russia, on the northern bank of the Moskva River, a few hundred metres southwest of the Kremlin. With an overall height of , it is the ...

Archbishop of Korea

On April 4, 2019, by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was appointed Archbishop of the Russian Orthodox diocese of Korea of the

, becoming ''

locum tenens A locum, or locum tenens, is a person who temporarily fulfills the duties of another; the term is especially used for physicians or clergy. For example, a ''locum tenens physician'' is a physician who works in the place of the regular physician. ...

'' of the Diocese of Kyzyl.

References

{{authority control Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Russian people of Korean descent Living people 1976 births 21st-century Eastern Orthodox bishops People from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Sakhalin Korean people