Notes on the Life of Bishop Gregory Grabbe (+1995)

Gregory (Grabbe), Bishop, (in the world Count Yuri [Georgy] Pavlovich Grabbe; b. April 8/21, 1902, Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire — d. September 24/October 7, 1995, Elmwood Park, New Jersey, USA) — bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Bishop of Washington and Florida (since 1986 — retired). Previously, for many years, he was a priest of ROCOR in the rank of protopresbyter. One of the main ideologists of ROCOR, who retained influence over its decisions from the 1930s to the early 1990s. He held especially significant influence during the leadership of the third First Hierarch of ROCOR, Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky).

The author of apologetic works on the history of the ROCOR, as well as works of a church-canonical, historical, and memoir nature; an implacable critic of the Moscow Patriarchate and the communist regime in the USSR. As historian Andrei Kostryukov notes, "the works of this author, who knew the situation in the ROCOR from the inside, help to understand how foreign hierarchs justified their position. However, Bishop Gregory also did not avoid bias."

He is also known for a number of questionable actions, among which was the marriage ceremony he performed for the impostor Michael Goleniewski (1922–1993), who claimed to be Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich. Also known is the unsightly role of Bishop Gregory (Grabbe) in the court case against Saint John (Maximovich).

Son of Colonel Count Pavel Mikhailovich Grabbe and his wife Anastasia Georgievna Demidova. Born in Petersburg, baptized on April 15, 1902, in the church of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment. Great-grandson of the poet Alexei Khomiakov. His younger sister Nina — in monasticism Abbess Magdalena, superior of the Lesna Convent of ROCOR (Provemont, France).

In 1917, he completed the 6th grade of the gymnasium in Kislovodsk, where his father had relocated.

In 1920, together with his parents, he emigrated to Constantinople, then to Belgrade, where in 1921 he passed the exams for the certificate of maturity.

From 1923 to 1926, he studied at the theological faculty of the University of Belgrade, combining his studies with journalistic work in the official publication of the Synod of Bishops of the ROCOR, the journal Church News, and with the publication of the monarchist newspaper The Voice of the Loyal Subject.

In 1925, he married V.M. Yarzhembskaya, with whom he had four children.

From August 1931, he served as the head of the Chancery of the Synod of Bishops of the ROCOR in Sremski Karlovci (“in fact, he carried out the duties of the Secretary of the Synod of Bishops”).

In 1935, he was one of the secretaries of the meeting convened by Serbian Patriarch Varnava, which aimed to unite all Russian émigré parishes; he drafted the initial version of the adopted “Provisional Statute on the Administration of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.”

In 1944, he moved to Germany, to Karlsbad, and brought there a significant portion of the archive of the Synod of Bishops.

On June 24, 1946, in the city of Kuchl, he was ordained to the rank of deacon by Metropolitan Seraphim (Lade), and on the following day — to the rank of priest.

During these years, the influence of Protopresbyter George Grabbe on church affairs increased significantly. This was due to the fact that more than half of the ROCOR episcopate had been replenished by hierarchs previously unknown to Metropolitan Anastasy. Protopresbyter George Grabbe, who remained constantly with the metropolitan during the most difficult years and was faithful to the ideology of ROCOR, came to be regarded by the metropolitan as the most reliable person. The growth of trust was also aided by the successful chancery work of Father George.

Since 1947 — protopriest; since 1960 — protopresbyter, rector, then sacristan of the Synodal Church of the Sign of the Mother of God in New York.

In 1950, he moved to New York, USA, together with Metropolitan Anastasy (Gribanovsky).

On April 13, 1956, he was awarded the right to wear the miter.

In 1957, in the ROCOR, as a result of a “slanderous campaign,” Bishop Panteleimon (Rudyk) was sent into retirement. According to Protopresbyter Mitrophan Znosko-Borovsky [later Bishop of Boston], the main accuser was Protopresbyter George Grabbe.

In 1963, he was one of the main opponents of Archbishop John (Maximovich)'s activities in San Francisco. He supported the initiation of a civil court case against him and participated in its sessions as a witness for the prosecution.

On September 30, 1964, in New York, he performed the marriage ceremony of the impostor Michael Goleniewski, who claimed to be the miraculously saved Tsarevich Alexei, with the German Protestant Ingrid Kampf, in the presence of “his sisters” — non-Orthodox and non-Russian-speaking “Olga Nikolaevna Romanova” and “Tatiana Nikolaevna Romanova.” For this wedding, Grabbe received over 10,000 US dollars. This caused a scandal in the ROCOR. As a result, the canonization of the royal family by ROCOR, which had been planned for the same year, was postponed for 17 years, since doubts arose about the death of all five Romanov children. Upon learning of this “wedding,” Archbishop John of Shanghai of ROCOR held a litya after the Liturgy in memory of the murdered Tsarevich Alexei.

Since 1967, he served as a consultant to the Synod of Bishops of the ROCOR and head of the Department of External Relations.

From 1932 to 1946 and from 1951 to 1967 — editor of the journal Church Life, the organ of the Synod of Bishops of the ROCOR.

He had great influence over the third First Hierarch of the ROCOR, Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky). In 1967, Archbishop Averky (Taushev), abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, wrote several letters to Metropolitan Philaret in which he lamented that the metropolitan was under the influence of his secretary, Protopresbyter George Grabbe, and his “party”:

“…It is inexpressibly sorrowful, Holy Master, that you are so skillfully and cunningly courted by dishonest people who have clearly lost their conscience, if they are capable of slandering others so vilely and despicably—those who see and know them, and whom they therefore fear. For aside from a small handful of personal friends and relatives, and others bound to them by a community of interests of the same base nature, absolutely no one supports them. The true church people are not with them, for they see and know them through and through and do not believe them. By slandering others, they think to whitewash themselves… Everything in our Church would be peaceful, calm, and harmonious, were it not for the desire of this clique to seize dictatorial power into their own hands…”

On May 3, 1979, at the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, he was tonsured a monk by Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky), receiving the name Gregory in honor of Saint Gregory the Theologian. On the following day, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. On May 12, in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York, he was consecrated Bishop of Manhattan, vicar of the Eastern American Diocese, despite protests received shortly before the consecration from Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev) of San Francisco, Archbishop Anthony (Sinkevich) of Los Angeles, Bishop Laurus (Skurla) of Syracuse, Bishop Nektary (Kontzevich) of Seattle, and Bishop Constantine (Essensky) of Brisbane, Protopresbyter Mitrophan Znosko-Borovsky, and other clergy and laity.

On October 28, 1981, he was appointed Bishop of Washington and Florida.

After the repose of Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky), the newly elected First Hierarch, Metropolitan Vitaly (Ustinov), relying on the support of members of the Synod sympathetic to him, made every effort to eliminate the behind-the-scenes influence of the party of Gregory (Grabbe). A loud sensation was the public disclosure of shocking materials gathered by Protopresbyter Victor Potapov based on documents he had studied, as well as the testimony of numerous witnesses, revealing moral and financial crimes not only of Bishop Gregory (Grabbe) but also of members of his family, in particular his son, Archimandrite Anthony (Grabbe). In January 1986, a Council of Bishops of ROCOR was convened, at which the cases of Bishop Gregory himself and his son Archimandrite Anthony (Grabbe) were considered. Archbishop Anthony (Bartosevich) of Geneva stated that “Bishop Gregory was used to being the master under ailing metropolitans, when all matters fell upon his shoulders. He became accustomed to this and exceeded his authority.” In the course of the investigation conducted at the level of the Synod of ROCOR, Bishop Gregory was removed from all his positions at the 1986 Council of Bishops and retired from active service, with the designation of his place of residence at the Lesna Convent in France. Bishop Gregory’s son-in-law, Protopresbyter Vladimir Shishkov, was dismissed from his position as head of the candle factory, assistant dean, all Synodal duties, and was denied the right to officiate services in the Synodal cathedral. Bishop Gregory’s daughter, Anastasia Shatilova, was dismissed from her positions as secretary to Bishop Gregory, manager of the bookstore, and editor of the Synodal journal.

After his retirement, he first lived with his sister at the Lesna Convent in Provemont (1986–1988), then again in the USA. He was a supporter of opening ROCOR parishes in the USSR. He categorically condemned attempts at rapprochement with the Moscow Patriarchate.

On July 4, 1994, at the Council of Bishops, Metropolitan Vitaly (Ustinov) noted: “In connection with the Suzdal rebellion, it became clear that its ideologist is Bishop Gregory. He allegedly grounded the whole affair in the canons, in Patriarch Tikhon’s Ukase No. 362, but this manipulation is questionable.” According to the recollections of Michael Ardov, “Vladimir Shishkov recalled such a scene. In their house in New Jersey, Bishop Gregory was sitting in his usual place in an armchair and suddenly said the following phrase: ‘Well, that’s it — I have put a cross over the Synod Abroad.’”

In May 1995, he visited Suzdal, the [headquarters of the] jurisdiction of Valentin Rusantsov (Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church).

 

Russian source: https://russianemigrant.ru/book-author/grigorij-grabbe-episkop