Nikodim (Rotov) (1929-1978), Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod 1963-1978

Categories / Religion. Church/Personalia
NIKODIM (lay name Boris Georgievich Rotov) (1929-1978), church figure. In 1947, he took monastic vows under the name of Nikodim, and was sent to serve in the Arch-Eparchy of Yaroslavl. From 1949, he served in different churches of the Eparchy of Yaroslavl. In 1955, he graduated, in absentia, from the Leningrad Theological Academy. From 1956, he was a member of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem, from 1957, he headed the mission as an archimandrite. From 1959, he was in charge of the Office of the Moscow Patriarchate and in 1960, was appointed Bishop of Podolsk, Vicar of Moscow Eparchy. He then became Bishop of Yaroslavl. In 1961, he was appointed archbishop and made a full member of the Holy Synod. In 1963, he was made Metropolitan of Minsk, later the same year he was promoted as Metropolitan of Leningrad. From 1967, he headed the Novgorod Eparchy. He headed the Department of Foreign Church Relations (1960-72) and of the Editorial Board (1960-63) of Moscow Patriarchate. Nikodim headed delegations of the Russian Orthodox Church in Pan-Orthodox meetings of 1961, 1963, 1964 and 1968. From 1974, he was the Patriarch’s Exarch of Western Europe. From 1975, he was President of the World Congress of Churches. Nikodim strove for peace and unity among different churches. Due to his activity, relations of the Russian Orthodox Church with Old Believers were normalized. He died in Rome during the enthronement ceremony of Pope John Paul I. Nikodim was buried in Nikolskoe Cemetery of Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

References: Очерки истории Санкт-Петербургской епархии. СПб., 1994. С. 272-275; Manuil (Lemeљevskij). Die russischen orthodoxen Bischцfe von 1893 bis 1965: Bio-Bibliogr. Erlangen, 1987. T. 5. S. 100-111.

A. I. Razdorsky. Joannes Paulus I, Pope
Nikodim (Boris Georgievich Rotov), Metropolitan
Очерки истории Санкт-Петербургской епархии. СПб., 1994
Manuil (Lemesevskij) Die russischen orthodoxen Bischofe von 1893 bis 1965: Bio-Bibliogr. Erlangen, 1987 Theological Academy
Synod
Old Believers
Nikolskoe Cemetery