Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Hilarion dies in New York

On May 16, the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York (in the world Igor Alekseevich Kapral) died in New York, reports RIA News.

“Today, at the age of 78 in New York, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Hilarion, passed away to the Lord. We ask for prayers for the newly reposed Metropolitan Hilarion,” the channel of the Berlin and German Diocese of ROCOR reported on Telegram.

According to Father Seraphim, Secretary of the ROCOR Chancellery, Vladyka Hilarion was a most benevolent archpastor and a kind person. “I have never seen a doctor cry as much when announcing the death of a patient as I do today. The doctor said that he was a kind-hearted person to whom he managed to become attached. Such was our lord,” he said.

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Metropolitan Hilarion was born in Canada in Spirit River on January 6, 1948. He spent his childhood in the countryside. On December 10, 1984, he was ordained Bishop of Manhattan. On May 12, 2008, the ROCOR Council of Bishops elected him the sixth First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad and elevated him to the rank of Metropolitan. At that time, he held the title of Archbishop of Sydney and Australia and New Zealand.