Ecumenical Commemoration
Patriarch of Moscow, Confessor & Ecumenist
April 7 · d. 1925
also known as Tikhon of Moscow, Vasily Belavin
Tikhon (1865-1925), birth name Vasily Ivanovich Belavin, was Patriarch of Moscow and the Russian Orthodox Church. Serving as Russian Orthodox Bishop of the Aleutians and North America (1898-1907), he fostered ecumenical relations with the Episcopalian Church. Elected Patriarch in 1917 after the restoration of the patriarchate, he resisted Bolshevik persecution and suffered imprisonment, dying in 1925 under Soviet pressure. He was canonized as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1989.
Tikhon is venerated in the Orthodox tradition as a confessor who endured persecution under communist atheism while maintaining fidelity to Orthodox Christianity and the patriarchate. His ecumenical outreach during his American episcopate is recognized as a significant moment in Orthodox-Anglican relations. He exemplifies Orthodox resistance to totalitarianism and the cost of faith under persecution. His canonization in 1989 marked the post-Soviet recognition of his holiness and martyrdom.
Tikhon was born in 1865 into an Orthodox Russian family. Ordained to the priesthood, he eventually became a bishop and was assigned as the Russian Orthodox Bishop of the Aleutians and North America from 1898 to 1907, during a crucial period of Orthodox missionary work in North America. During his tenure, Tikhon demonstrated remarkable openness to Episcopalian clergy and lay leaders, encouraging dialogue and cooperation between the Orthodox and Anglican communions. In 1917, following the Russian Revolution and the restoration of the patriarchate (which had been dormant since 1700), Tikhon was elected Patriarch of Moscow. In this capacity, he became the primary defender of Orthodox Christianity against Bolshevik ideology and Soviet state pressure. He was imprisoned multiple times, interrogated, and subjected to intense pressure to renounce his faith and his position. Despite these trials, he maintained his commitment to Orthodox Christianity and ecumenical witness. He died on April 7, 1925 (October 9 in the Orthodox calendar), under circumstances suggesting Soviet pressure and possible poisoning. The Russian Orthodox Church canonized him as a saint in 1989, recognizing his steadfast faith and martyrdom under persecution.
British (Received Pronunciation): Tikhon /ˈtiː.kɒn/
Readings for an Ecumenist
Ezekiel 34:11–16Psalm 133Ephesians 3:14–21John 17:10–26
Almighty God, we give you thanks for the ministry of Tikhon, who labored that the Church of Jesus Christ might be one: Grant that we, instructed by his teaching and example, and knit together in unity by your Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.