One mind, One blood, One light - concerning the Catacomb luminaries: Sts. Cyril of Kazan and Joseph of Petrograd

St. Cyril, Metropolitan of Kazan (left); St. Joseph, Metropolitan of Petrograd (right)

(Appearing here for the first time in English and excerpted from the 1980 book "Церковь катакомбная на земле Российской". This text has been kindly translated by Seraphim Larin.)

Inasmuch as these two pillars of the Church ended their lives as martyrs at the same hour and at the same minute, their blood became mixed together. And because before their deaths they were in the same cell and of one mind in all spiritual matters - then we too place them together.

Apparently, their simultaneous martyrdom is not known either in Soviet Russia or abroad. Metropolitan Cyril of Kazan is an outstanding individual, who by some is valued spiritually as the most eminent and strong-willed hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church of recent times. He was very much an observed figure in the Russian Hierarchy. Everybody esteemed him and acknowledged his prominent authority.

That’s why from the very first days of Soviet rule, he was isolated and exiled. His attitude toward the “Soviet Authority” was typical of him – he openly didn’t acknowledge the “Soviet Authority” as an authority, inasmuch as it appeared by an enforced and bloody means, supported purely through the cruelest terror. 

Being imprisoned, he would often ask the representatives of this “Soviet Authority”: “Who are you? Where are you from? And who gave you the authority to control our minds, our souls and our bodies?Who gave you the right to deprive us of all freedom: imprison us in jails, labor camps and exile us?Who gave you this right?! After all, I didn’t become what I am by my own volition. I am a Bishop, a Metropolitan. But I became this because my Church made me so, Christ’s Church. I didn’t make myself a hierarch! - but She, Christ’s Holy Church – She made unworthy me a Bishop. And this is a Greek word that means: “Overseer”. And I gave a vow, I gave my oath to be faithful in my Bishopric role to Christ’s Church, which has existed on earth for nearly two thousand years. I gave an oath that I would watch sharply over everything that occurs in the Church and that which happens around Her: that I will assist with all my strength that which is good for Her and contrary to that, to terminate, within my power, everything that is harmful to Her.

Yes, I am a Bishop, a Metropolitan of Christ’s Church. I have this spiritual authority through Apostolic succession, from Christ’s holy Disciples who ordained apostolic Men instead of themselves: and who themselves, went from this life into another life - by martyrdom. And in leaving this life, they charged their successors to continue ordaining. Thus, this Apostolic ordination reached me, a big sinner. And I was placed as a Bishop of the Holy Church. And I have the onus of their spiritual authority and in a sense, I am the “authority”, although in the sense that: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:23). 

I told you about myself: who I am. However, I don’t know and haven’t heard from you – who are you?Who gave you the “right”, the “authority” and your “power”?! And you are unable to answer my questions: who gave them to you? But I know who gave you this authority: “The dragon gave him his power, his throne and great authority” (Rev.13:2). You are presented in the “Revelations” in an image of the “beast”, to whom the devil gives his might and authority. And what is this authority? - "And power was given to them over the fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth” (Rev. 6:8). This is how this God-inspirited man spoke!

Metropolitan Cyril likewise stood firmly against the anti-Church and anti-Christian actions of the “deputy of the Locum Tenens”, Metropolitan Sergius. Initially, Metropolitan Cyril left as from a schismatic, because he brought a great schism to the Church. But because Sergius moved away more and more from canonical behavior – in other words, from Orthodoxy, and then from Christianity in general, the negative evaluation of his activities received a new specific puissance [great influence or power].

When through Divine Providence, Metropolitans Cyril and Joseph found themselves sharing the same prison cell, they had an opportunity to scrutinize the behavior of this usurper of Ecclesiastical authority and came to the conclusion that Metropolitan Sergius had far overstepped the Holy Fathers’ understanding of “heresy”. Following this judgment, they totally disavowed Metropolitan Sergius and his followers, especially as Metropolitan Joseph was aware of the Conciliar anathematization of “them”, which was carried out by the persecuted Church against the persecutors which included Sergius and his entourage. 

This viewpoint was embraced by both of the Hierarchs, who did not live long enough to witness the "apotheosis", due to Stalin's favor, of this "deputy" who was elevated to the cathedra of the Moscow "patriarch".

Generally, Metropolitan Cyril always spoke directly, boldly and openly. It’s no wonder that one of the individuals interrogating the Saint, spoke of him thus: “OH, A BEAUTIFUL OLD MAN!”. Of course -  beautiful not in physical features but as a spiritual figure: his open, fearless witness of his faith, his spiritual heroism. Before such heroism, even the enemies are capable of bowing before – as Saint Gregory the Theologian said to the praise of Saint Basil the Great. 

And during an interrogation, when one Deacon began to equivocate, wangle and waver, the investigator said to him: “Thus, Metropolitan Cyril was here, even though he paid with his blood, he remained what he was! And what are you?!" This Deacon was nonetheless shot, not for what he was accused of, but purely because of their contempt of him.

And this Hierarch, Saint Metropolitan Cyril, spoke with that spirit of which our Saviour said – that they would be unable to be “contradicted” by their enemies: “For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist” (Luke 21:15).

In receiving such types of answers from the Saint, even the powerful Tuchkov was unable to respond except with brutal force. Nevertheless, even he couldn’t restrain himself from telling others of his conversation with Metropolitan Cyril. 

Before offering Metropolitan Sergius the position as “deputy of the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne”, he attempted to persuade two Locum Tenens, who were approved by the Local Council, to fill the position of “deputy”. And when he spoke with Metropolitan Cyril, he had placed secretly cooperating with the organs of the GPU as a condition of accepting this position.

Tuchkov thus interrogated: “If we have to remove some Bishop, you must help us in this”.

To which Metropolitan Cyril responded: “Yes, if a Bishop is found guilty of some Church offence. In this repugnant situation, I will tell him directly that this is demanded of me by the authorities, and I personally have nothing against him”. 

“No!” – replied Tuchkov. “You have to find a suitable grievance and remove him as if by your own initiative”. 

The Saint responded: "Listen, Eugene Alexandrovich, you are not a canon, and I'm not a bomb with which you hope to blow up the Russian Church from within!"

After Metropolitan Cyril’s refusal, the same proposition was made to Metropolitan [Saint] Agathangel, but he too refused. It was only Metropolitan Sergius that accepted this dishonest and frightening role –to be a secret weapon in the hands of the GPU acting inside of the Church. 

Metropolitan Joseph is one of the outstanding luminaries of the Russian Hierarchy. It was quite natural that the theomachist Soviet authority had a special interest in him as one “unsuitable” to them. Having been elected to the Cathedra of Petrograd, by the people after the martyred death of Metropolitan [Saint] Benjamin, this Hierarch became even more dangerous. 

And then suddenly, this "unsuitable" was transferred to Odessa by Metropolitan Sergius. With that, Vladyka Metropolitan only found out about his transfer upon the arrival of the new “ruling Bishop” in Petrograd. Metropolitan Joseph didn’t recognize this forced and criminal transfer instituted by the Soviet authority through their henchman Metropolitan Sergius, as it wasn’t in accord with the Canons of the Holy Church (1927). 

And after a few months, he signed an act of “non-recognition of Metropolitan Sergius” and as one who usurped the authority of the “First Bishop of the Church” (1928). Metropolitan Sergius’s response to this “non-recognition” was a prohibition of Metropolitan Joseph to perform Church Services. 

As a consequence of this “non-recognition”, Metropolitan Joseph was arrested by the Soviet authorities in the same year (1928) and was exiled into the wilderness of Kazakhstan - this exile continued to the last day of Vladyka’s life. 

We don’t have any specific data as to the consequences of his exile or the various camps that he was sent to in the Kazakhstan desert. However, witnesses stated that he was in: Kzyl-Orda, in Turlule, in Turkestan, and in Aulie-Ata. This exile was more onerous than his incarceration for it seriously undermined his health. It was essential that he have dietary food. But where was it to be had in the desert where even now? - where the population existed only due to the passing trains upon the arrival of which those who have money, purchase all their food from the dining cars - while children ran under the windows with outstretched hands, begging for a piece of bread?

Metropolitan Joseph did relate under what conditions he had to live. The authorities refused to allow him to live in human conditions – he was only allowed to live with the animals, with swine. His lodgings consisted of bare boards which were separated by a few planks from the pigs. There was nothing but dirt, uncleanliness and the foul air; poisoned by effluent [sewage]. In summer – intolerable heat; in winter - freezing cold. Once, a snake coiled its tail on the rafter and hung over his head for a lengthy period. 

This is how Metropolitan Joseph paid for his refusal to acknowledge the henchman of Soviet authority – Metropolitan Sergius. However, these unbearable conditions didn’t break Christ’s confessor, because God’s grace was providing strength to his feeble physical nature. 

The indigenous population of Kazakhstan, the Kazakhs, seeing such sufferings of the innocent victims of theomachism, switched to their side and demanded tolerable conditions for the sufferers. Finally, the inhuman authority itself understood that it wasn’t in their interests to hold Metropolitan Joseph in such vile conditions.

It was impossible to break him – he proved that! This cruelty by the authorities gave rise to propitious grounds for very strong anti-Soviet agitation. Towards the end of his life, Metropolitan Joseph received somewhat different conditions. They transferred him to live in more normal living conditions in the city of Chimkent. The pious people of the city recall his short stay in their town:

"The Metropolitan lived in a separate hut. Those who esteemed him tried to 'decorate' the life of the ailing Hierarch. Archimandrite Arsenius, blessed with God’s grace, provided an accordion which allowed Vladyka – a great musician – to sing wonderful songs of the Orthodox Church Services in tune with this musical instrument. 

After the violent death of the Patriarch Tikhon [he was poisoned], the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, Metropolitan [Saint] Peter became head of the secret Catacomb Church. With his blessing, nests of this secret Church sprang up throughout enslaved Russia. Also, with his blessing, Metropolitans Cyril and Joseph as well as many other Hierarchs labored in this spiritual field, accepting to die as martyrs as a result. 

During the period of his exile in Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Joseph was selflessly planting hotbeds of the “non-commemorators” (of Metropolitan Sergius and his “Soviet Church”). From Chimkent, he had opportunities to slip away from surveillance and visit members of the Catacomb Church. As an example: there was an underground church in the capital city of Kazakhstan, in Alma-Ata, which was excavated over a long and arduous effort by the above-mentioned Archimandrite Arsenius. Vladyka Metropolitan consecrated this church in 1936 and served in it several times. 

Protopriest Michael Polsky relates the words of one of the faithful upon her meeting with Vladyka Metropolitan Joseph in this secret Catacomb church in Alma-Ata – a year before his arrest and martyrs death:

“What a marvelous, humble, unshakable man of prayer! This was reflected in his face and eyes as in a mirror. Very tall, with a large white beard and an extraordinarily kind face, he could not help but attract one to him, and one only wished never to part from him. His monastic garb was covered up, as was his hair; otherwise he would have been arrested immediately right on the street, since he was watched and did not have the right to travel. He himself said that Patriarch Tikhon had offered, right after his election, to designate him as his first Substitute. For some reason this has not been noted anywhere yet in the history of the institution of Locum Tenens. He recognized Metropolitan Peter of Krutitsk as the lawful head of the Church, and right up to the latter's arrest in September 1937, he had secret contacts with him, even while rumors were circulating everywhere that Metropolitan Peter was dead.

On the 23rd of September 1937, there were extensive arrests made in the environs of Alma-Ata and throughout Kazakhstan of all the clergy of the secret Josephite churches, who freely accepted exile for not recognizing the “Soviet Church”. Everybody was exiled for 10 years without the right to correspond, and as I found out later, among the arrested was Metropolitan Joseph…” 

However, apparently Protopriest M. Polsky was not aware that here in Chimkent, Metropolitan Joseph met Metropolitan Cyril, lived with him under arrest, and received with him a martyric end. In any case, this fact was known to the Catacomb Church in Moscow. This was related to the present author by a Moscow priest, who concluded with the following details: 

"Every day, when they let Metropolitans Cyril and Joseph out for a walk, they walked side by side, pressed against each other. Now Metropolitan Joseph was tall, and by comparison with him the stocky Metropolitan Cyril was short. As they walked in a circle, they were always engaged in concentrated conversation. Evidently there, in the open air, no one could overhear them. And these two figures, as if fitting into each other, gave a touching demonstration of the 'two-in-one' nature of these hierarchs. And this walk of the metropolitans was watched by some catacomb nuns from a hill. This was not without danger. It was necessary to disguise it, so that the authorities should not notice this secret signaling. And it came to the point where the metropolitans gave them their blessing at the beginning and at the end of their walk." 

I heard this detail from inhabitants of Chimkent both in captivity and in freedom. So there can be no doubt about this sojourn of Metropolitan Cyril with Metropolitan Joseph in the autumn of 1937. Both 'Moscow' and 'Chimkent' witness to it. Now there are no traces left of the little house in which the hierarch-confessors were kept. They demolished it when they noticed that the place enjoyed special veneration from the believers..."

Metropolitan Joseph, in a letter to Archimandrite Leo, who became widely known in the Catacomb Church, expresses the idea that the concept of "heresy", as applied to the act of Metropolitan Sergius, is irrelevant, because "the murderer of the Church is worse than any heretic." The Catacomb Church stands upon this point of view. Of course, Metropolitan Cyril shared this opinion about Metropolitan Sergius with Metropolitan Joseph, as an accomplice in their “two in one unity”. And this wasn’t hidden from the Chekist investigators.

This topic was an indispensable subject of "discussion" during numerous interrogations. And both hierarchs expressed the same point of view. The “Declaration” of July 1927 was the full capitulation of that “Church” controlled by Metropolitan Sergius to the government of the USSR, which it still is even today.

This “Declaration” appeared as the most shameless act of obsequiousness, sordid groveling and servility before the powerful of this world, and before Stalin. And of course, for their witness, both Metropolitans Cyril and Joseph had to pay with their own blood. As veritable witnesses of Divine Truth, they accepted their martyric deaths to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. They headed a whole host of martyrs that were executed with them [among whom was the Catacomb Bishop St. Eugene of Rostov].

In the evening of the 20th of November in 1937, and on the eve of the “Synaxis of the Archangel Michael”, all of these holy Martyrs were shot near Chimkent. On that night mass shootings occurred everywhere. They were led out as one big group – nearly 150 people. All of them were Catacomb clergy. The metropolitans were not led with them – they were later taken by car directly to the place of execution.  Among the group was Archimandrite Arsenius of Alma-Ata who supported and cared for Metropolitan Joseph. The whole group asked forgiveness of one another and then those who were able gave their final embrace. The Metropolitans had given all of them a prior blessing and “Viaticum” (Eucharist to the dying). 

And despite all of the careful measures taken to keep this execution secret, there was a witness to this liquidation. He was a local shepherd of sheep, and he witnessed how they fell under a hail of bullets. He stated that among those shot was one “big man”. This is undoubtedly said about Metropolitan Joseph, who stood out for his enormous stature.

Saints Cyril and Joseph pray unto God for us!