Paul (Ponomaryov)


Metropolitan Paul is the Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk, the Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus and the leader of the Belarusian Orthodox Church.

Biography

Metropolitan Paul was born on 19 February 1952 in Karaganda.
In 1973-1976, he attended the Moscow Theological Seminary. In 1980 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy with a degree in theology.
On 19 February 1992 by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church he was appointed Bishop of Zaraisk and was put in charge of the patriarchal parishes in the United States and in Canada.
29 December 1999 he was appointed Bishop of Vienna and Austria.
23 February 2001 he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop.
7 May 2003 he was appointed Archbishop of Ryazan and Kasimov.
He became Exarch in December 2013 after the former Exarch, Philaret, stepped down.