Metropolitan Bishop
Saint Gerontius, Metropolitan of Moscow, was elevated to the primatial see on June 29, 1471. Previously, he was the abbot of the Simonov Monastery in Moscow, and before 1455, he was raised to the rank of Bishop of Kolomna.
The time of Saint Gerontius's rule was marked by the expansion of church construction. After a fire in April 1471, the metropolitan residence and other buildings were rebuilt. In 1481, he laid the foundation for the Church of the Placement of the Holy Virgin's Robe, which was consecrated on August 21, 1486. With the participation of Saint Gerontius, the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin was built, and its consecration took place on August 12, 1479. On August 24, a solemn transfer of the relics of Saint Peter to the new cathedral occurred.
During the tenure of Saint Gerontius, the relations between the Church and Grand Prince Ivan III became complicated. The saint had a firm character and defended the independence of the Church from the interference of the Grand Prince in ecclesiastical affairs. Disputes arose between them, in which the Archbishop of Rostov Vassian, the spiritual father of the Grand Prince, also participated. For some time, Metropolitan Gerontius left the see and withdrew to the Simonov Monastery. However, since the majority of the clergy recognized the right of the primate, Grand Prince Ivan III asked for forgiveness from the saint and promised not to interfere in church matters. After this, the saint returned to the see.
Being unyielding in ecclesiastical matters, Saint Gerontius was always a good advisor and ally of the Grand Prince of Moscow in state affairs. Thus, in 1478, Veliky Novgorod was finally subordinated to Moscow. Since then, archpastors chosen in Moscow were appointed to the Novgorod see.
In 1483, Saint Gerontius temporarily withdrew to the Simonov Monastery due to illness, but soon returned and successfully managed church affairs until his blessed end, which occurred on May 28, 1489, on the eve of the Feast of the Ascension.
Saint Gerontius was buried in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin. Several letters and messages to the Grand Prince, composed by Metropolitan Gerontius, have been preserved. After his death, veneration of him began. In the 17th century, an icon of Saint Gerontius was known in the Assumption Cathedral. The 'Iconographic Codex' contains a mention of his image being painted alongside the saints Cyprian, Photius, and other primates.
By the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill, on March 6, 2017, the name of the holy Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Gerontius was included in the Synaxis of Moscow Saints.
