Vice-chairman of the Department for External Church Relation of the Moscow Patriarchate

Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov)

Biography

He was born in 1967 in Moscow.

From 1988 to 1991 he worked on the staff of the Moscow Patriarchate Publishing Department.

From 1991 to 1993, he was a staff member of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations (DECR) section for inter-Christian relations. From 1993 to 1996 he held the office of head of DECR Communication Service.

On July 14, 1996, he was ordained as deacon.

From 1997 to 1999, he served as secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate Representation to the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East in Damascus.

On August 6, 2000, he was ordained as presbyter and on August 27 was tonsured as a robe-bearer with the name of Philaret in honour of St. Philaret the Metropolitan of Moscow.

From 2000 to 2004, he was the rector of the Parish of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In 2002, by the decree of Patriarch Alexy II of eternal memory, he was elevated to the rank of hegumen.

From 2004 to 2011, he served as representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Council of Europe and rector of the Parish of All Saints in Strasbourg.

By the Holy Synod decision of 22 March 2011, he was relieved of his duties as the Moscow Patriarchate representative to the Council of Europe and rector of the Parish of All Saints in Strasburg to be appointed as vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR).

Since 2011, he has been rector of the church of Our Lady of Kazan in Kaluzhskaya Square in Moscow.

On April 28, 2014, he was elevated by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to the rank of archimandrite.

Since 2012, he has been a member of the Inter-Councils’ Presence and its Commission for Theology and Theological Education and the Commission for Social Life, Culture, Science and Information.

Education and academic degrees

In 1992 he entered the Moscow Theological Seminary; in 1998 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy. For his dissertation on ‘The Past and the Present of the Maronite Church’, he was granted in 1991 the degree of Master of Theology.

Awards

Ecclesiastical

He holds liturgical awards including the right to celebrate the Divine Liturgy with the Holy Doors remaining open till the Cherubic Hymn (2019).
The Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow, 3d class (1996)
The Medal of St. Mark of Ephesus, 1st class (2017)
The Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, 3d class (2018)
The Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 3s class (2019)

Secular

The Order of Friendship (2016).