Letters of archimandrite Cassian (Bezobrazov) from the Holy mt. Athos
Abstract
Letters from the Holy Mt. Athos of the archimandrite (since 1947 he was a bishop) Cassian (Bezobrazov) to archpriest Sergius Bulgakov and Lion А. Zander covers the period of the Second World War. The letters’ author was isolated from his colleagues in teaching at the Orthodox theological institute of St. Sergiy Radonezskiy in Paris. The fragment of the correspondence of three eminent church-public figures allows of looking from within at the professorial corporation’s life of the Theological institute of St. Sergiy Radonezskiy and better understanding of the atmosphere in which this part of the Russian abroad have made their service for the Church in the XXth century. Many teachers, graduates and students of the Theological institute were mentioned in documents that helped to clarify unknown facts of their biography. The characteristic features of the personal and theological growth of Archimandrite Cassian uncover themself in a 124 Афонские письма архимандрита Кассиана (Безобразова) new fashion. The plan of the non-published manuscript of the father Cassian’s monography devoted to research the New Testament’s bases of a Christian world outlook and its author’s definition were found in the Theological institute’s archive. At the same time, the letters give the chance to estimate the scale of the international contacts of the Theological institute and expand the information about the circle of persons, connected with its corporation. These documents give the opportunity to dispute accusing the Theological institute of contacts with ecumenical Masonic circles. Also published documents permit to clean archimandrite Cassian of the suspicions of the cooperation with the fascist power during the War. The letters were found in the archival funds of archpriest Sergius Bulgakov and L. A. Zander at the St. Sergiy Radonezsky orthodox theological institute in Paris.
