John Bērziņš

John BērziņJohn Bērziņš (, born Pēteris Bērziņš or Pyotr Leonodovich Berzin, ; born 16 March 1956, Cooma, NSW, Australia) is bishop of Caracas and South America for the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) and head of the church's Old-Rite parishes.

Life Pēteris Bērziņš was born on 16 March 1957 in Cooma, Australia, of Latvian Orthodox refugees, Leonid (1921–1996) and Margarita (b. 1926) Bērziņš, who were forced to leave their homeland during the Second World War. He grew up in Cooma and graduated with a philological degree from the Australian National University. He was fluent in ancient Greek and Latin.

In 1982, he entered Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, and enrolled in Holy Trinity Seminary. He graduated from the seminary in 1985.

On 16 March 1985, he was tonsured to the mantle on by Archbishop Laurus (Škurla) of Syracuse and Holy Trinity.

From 2005 to 2008, he ministered to Ss. Sergius and German of Valaam Community of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America.

After consulting with the members of the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia confirmed the selection of Hegumen John on June 19.

He speaks Russian, English, Latvian, Greek and Latin languages, and is studying the Argentine dialect of Spanish.