the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

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5. HIEROMARTYR METROPHANES, ARCHBISHOP OF
ASTRAKHAN
Archbishop Metrophanes, in the world Demetrius Ivanovich
Krasnopolsky, was born on October 22, 1869 in Voronezh province into the
family of a brick factory worker. His mother was from the family of a village
reader and before his birth prayed to the Heavenly Queen for a son who go
along the spiritual path. In 1890 he finished his studies at Voronezh
theological seminary. On November 4, 1890 was ordained to the diaconate by
Bishop Anastasius (Dobradin), and began serving in the Kazan church in
Korotoyaka, Voronezh province. On February 23, 1893 he was transferred to
the Trinity church in Alexeyevka sloboda, Voronezh province. In the same
year his wife died and he entered Kazan Theological Academy, graduating
from it in 1897. On August 21, 1896 he received the monastic tonsure and on
June 15, 1897 was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Sylvester
(Malevansky). On the same day he joined the Kiev Bratsky monastery. On
November 16, 1897 he was appointed inspector of the Irkutsk theological
seminary. On February 2, 1902 he became rector of Mogilev theological
seminary with the rank of archimandrite. He was an orator, a man of rare
talent who celebrated the Divine services with exceptional beauty. From 1907
to 1912 he was a member of the Third State Duma.
On February 11, 1907, in the Trinity cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky
Lavra, he was consecrated bishop of Gomel, a vicariate of the Mogilev
diocese, by Metropolitans Anthony (Vadkovsky) of St. Petersburg, Vladimir
(Bogoyavlensky) of Moscow and Flavian (Gorodetsky) of Kiev and other
bishops. Bishop Metrophanes conducted missionary work among the
sectarians and Old Ritualists, which was much easier than among those
converted to Catholicism because the latter, unlike the former, declined from
open debates with the Orthodox. In 1909, the Gomel section of the Mogilev
Theophany Brotherhood was transformed into an independent Brotherhood
under the presidency of Bishop Metrophanes. The brotherhood distributed
books and brochures to teach the people the Orthodox faith, strengthen them
in good morals and help the poor.
On November 9, 1912 Bishop Metrophanes was transferred to the see of
Minsk and Turov. One of his first acts there was to unite the brotherhoods in
the name of St. Nicholas and of the Life-giving Cross into one St. Nicholas
brotherhood under his presidency. The brotherhood waged war on
drunkenness and carried out readings among the people with coloured
pictures. By the end of 1913 37 sections of the brotherhood had been opened
in Minsk diocese. In 1914, during the Great Fast, two-week missionary
courses were opened, at which the dogmatic and ritual differences between
Orthodoxy and Catholicism were explained. The aim was to form circles of
zealots for Orthodoxy among the people and teach the peasants the means of
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