The “Formula” of holy martyr metropolitan Kirill (Smirnov) from the notebook of holy martyr bishop Damaskin (Tsedrik)

This article makes public an extremely important document of the first (according to the will of Holy Patriarch Tikhon) candidate for the position of the Patriarchal Locum Tenens Hieromartyr Metropolitan Kirill (Smirnov). It was written in April 1934 and summarised his understanding of the current state of aff airs in the church together with possible ways of overcoming the situation created by the policy of Patriarchal Locum Tenens Sergiy (Stragorodsky). Hieromartyr Kirill was firmly committed to the legacy of the Council of 1917–1918 and to the Patriarchal Administration established by the Council. The most important canonical acts which, in his opinion, should have been used in the current circumstances, were the Resolution of the Supreme Church Administration under Patriarch Tikhon of November 20, 1920 and the Patriarchal testamentary decree of January 7, 1925. Metropolitan Kirill’s associate was Hieromartyr Bishop Damaskin (Tsedik). He convincingly supported their position using the letters of the Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Petr (Polyansky) of 1929–1930. These clearly showed that Metropolitan Sergiy signifi cantly exceeded his authority and appropriated rights that he had not been endowed with. The publication also includes a document most likely compiled by Bishop Damaskin, based on the opinions of Metropolitans Kirill and Petr. Both documents are cited according to the same source, i.e. the notebook of Bishop Damaskin, seized from him during his arrest in 1934, and now kept in Jordanville, the spiritual center of the Russian Church Abroad.