John (Bodnarchuk)

Metropolitan John ( or Іоанн, Ioann; secular name Vasyl Mykolayovych Bodnarchuk, , ; 12 April 1927 – 9 November 1994) was an Orthodox hierarch born in the Ternopil area of Western Ukraine, which at that time was a territory of Poland. Defrocked from the Russian Orthodox Church, metropolitan Ioann played a notable role in revival of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

During his life he served as a bishop successively in the Russian Orthodox Church (1977–1989), in the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (1989–1992) and in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate (1992–1994).

Biography Though he was born into a family of Ukrainian Catholics, he converted to Orthodoxy early in his childhood. His name at birth was Vasyl Bodnarchuk (Wasyl Bodnarczuk).

Arrest Following World War II since 1945, Vasyl Bodnarchuk served as a cantor (dyak) leading a church choir in home village Ivane-Puste. His family also was deported to Kazakhstan, where they lived until 1954 and in 1953 The committee petitioned to presidiums of supreme councils of the Soviet Union and the Ukrainian SSR to legalise and register Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Five days after his dismissal, bishop Ioan asked the Holy Synod to reinstate him in the Church as he recovered. On 2 October 1989 in Lviv took place the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church eparchial assembly that appealed to Ioan (Bodnarchuk) to take charge in leading the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. On 22 October 1989 Ioan (Bodnarchuk) consecrated a deacon of Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Ioan (Bodnarchuk) petition to Patriarch of Georgian Orthodox Church, vicar bishop Jonathan (Yeletskikh) of Pereyaslav, metropolitan Vladimir (Cantarean) of Chișinău and all Moldova, and others. In May of 1991 Ioann Bodnarchuk traveled to the United States to seek medical help. where he repented and submitted an application on returning to the Moscow Patriarchate. At the same time the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) led by Metropolitan Filaret Denysenko was in crisis as it was appealing for a full autocephaly from the Moscow. In May of 1992 the Bishop Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) held a meeting in Kharkiv without their leader Metropolitan Filaret and dethroned him. On 11 June 1992 the Bishop Council which was reviewing situation with Filaret Denysenko also review the application of Ioann Bodnarchuk. Ioann Bodnarchuk wrote the following: "I suffered a lot from both strangers and my own. And today I bow my head low before you, Your Holiness, and you, God-wise arch-pastors and fathers, and I ask you to forgive me my unauthorized excommunication and accept me into the bosom of our holy Orthodox Church of Christ.” But, before the decision was made on his behalf, Metropolitan Ioann changed his mind and recalled his petition.

Instead, he joined the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate and was appointed as Metropolitan of Drohobych and Sambir. Later he would be appointed Metropolitan of Lutsk and Volyn.

Death

He died in a car accident in 1994.