PART 2:

SAN FRANCISCO NEWSPAPER ARTICLES



San Francisco Chronicle' April 28, 1963 (p.3):


Orthodox Uproar
Archbishop John Is Recalled


A storm building up in San Francisco's Russian Orthodox community for a year broke yesterday around the frail shoulders of Archbishop John.

Men and sobbing women crowded to kiss the ring of their beloved archbishop at the end of an emotion-charged meeting in the Russian Center, 2450 Sutter Street.

Nearly 700 Orthodox Russians gathered in the Center to learn officially that Archbishop John has been recalled.

In his six months as acting head of the Northern California, Washington and Oregon Diocese, the archbishop has become known as a saint by many of his followers.

Archbishop John was called to New York by superiors in the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile and told the decision last week. He returned to San Francisco Friday night to settle his affairs.

The meeting voted to petition the church to allow the archbishop to remain.

It was also decided to form a building committee to resume work on the unfinished cathedral at 26th Avenue and Geary which the meeting felt was linked with the decision to recall the archbishop. Work on the cathedral was halted last summer.

Meeting chairman Victor Korostekeffsaid elements in the com- munity opposed to the new cathedral had worked for the archbishop's recall because he had attempted to get con- struction started again.



San Francisco News Call Bulletin, Monday, April 29, 1963 (p. 32)

Uproar in a Church

By Donald Canter

Charges of Communist sympathies apparently played an important part in the decision to relieve awing Archbishop John from his post at the Russian Orthodox Church here.

The accusations, leveled by what loyal followers of the 64-year old priest called a "disgruntled minority group," virtually touched off a full-scale revolt among San Francisco's Russian colony.

One of the allegations, distributed to Russian clergy throughout the free world, charges the frail, bearded churchman with having displayed Red leanings while serving in Shanghai from 1928-1948.

Another allegation is that he would have encouraged the warden of San Francisco's Holy Virgin Cathedral to return to the Soviet Union.

Archbishop John, considered by many as the most likely candidate to succeed ailing, 85-year-old Metropolitan Anastasy' {Metropolitan Anastassy was actually 90 years old in 1963--ED} of New York as head of the Russian Orthodox Church in exile, preferred to ignore the charges.

Urging his enraged followers to "remain faithful to the synod," and to "abstain from hasty action," he softly reminded them:

"I'm a monk so I have to obey whatever the synod decides ... obey without asking questions." Meeting at the Sutter St. Rus- sian Center last week-end, some 700 of his parishioners were in no mood to heed their leader's plea for moder- ation.

Instead, they came charging back with counter accusations of their own, and threatened to secede from the church altogether unless Archbishop John was promptly rein- stated.

Said Gregory Bologoff, president of the Russian Center:

"This group (the accusers) is inspired by Communist agents who're out to destroy our church."

They were the same people, he insisted, who managed to halt work on a new cathedral whose steel frame has been gathering rust at Geary blvd. and 26th ave. since late 1961 when a new archbishop, Anthony, dissolved the building committee.


Archbishop John visiting the school at the Convent of the Vladimir Mother of God, San Francisco, 1963. At right Abbess
Ariadna.This photograph was printed in the San Francisco News Call Bulletin to accompany the article, "Uproar in a
Church". Beneath the photo, the newspaper caption reads as follows:
"You're not going to leave us?" The question is asked of Archbishop John, spiritual leader of San Francisco's Russian
Orthodox Community, by April and Ann Allan. The venerable prelate has been recalled to New York and his parishioners
are upset and irate."

It is Archbishop Anthony, since transferred back to Los Angeles, who's blamed by most parishioners for the discord in the colony.

Called a "sly operator" by one of the speakers at the emotion-laden meeting, Anthony is said to have returned here frequently to consult with his followers, many of whom are confirmed monarchists and who hope to see their man appointed Metropolitan, it was pointed out.

It was part of the church body appointed during the regime of Anthony who signed the document charging Archbishop John with Communist sympathies.

Leaving no doubt it means business, the mass meeting decided to fire off a letter to the synod in New York demanding that John be confirmed "within 72 hours" as permanent archbishop of San Francisco or "face the consequences."

These consequences, it was said, would be secession from the church by most of the 1000-member garish.




San Francisco Chronicle, May 2, 1963 (p. 4):

Orthodox Ouster Fight
Archbishop's Angry Orphans
by Warren Hinchk


Archbishop John's 40 orphans initiated a local holy war last night.

The 40-- now grown men living in the Bay Area--were reared by the venerable Russian Orthodox prelate in a White Russian orphanage in Shanghai during the 1930's.

They met last night in an iconfilled White Russina center of worship here and pledged, with religious zeal, to fight to reinstate their beloved Archbishop who was recalled from the Bay Area last week by his superiors in the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile.

OUSTER

And the 40 say they are not alone in the campaign to save the job of the black-bearded Archbishop, who was ousted on a petition of a dozen members of the Russian Orthodox Holy Virgin Parish here.

They say some 500 West Coast White Russians—all former refugees that Archbishop John led to the United States—stand behind the man who is "their spiritual father."

The controversial petition alleged that the Archbishop was "generally unstable" and preoccupied with spiritual matters: failed to investigate thoroughly the controversial finances of the partially built Russian Orthodox cathedral on 26th avenue and Geary street, and recognized the Soviet Church while he was in Shanghad.

"LIES"

"These are all lies," said Boris Massenkoff, a 29-year-old San Francisco State College student and father of two, who said Archbishop John was his "father and mother" when he was an infant in Shanghai.

"These people are attacking Archbishop John because they fear he will rule against their faction in the fight over the cathedral," said Boris Troyan, 47, of 618 12th avenue.

The angry group of former orphans last night drafted a letter to the Russian Orthodox archbishops demanding that they reinstate Archbishop John and censure the people who "made false accusations."

"We will fight this is a holy war for a holy man," said Massenkoff.




San Francisco News Call Bulletin, May 2, 1963 (p. 12):

White Russians Speak Out:
'The Archbishop Saved Us'


A group of one-time orphans he brought to this country from Shanghai rose today in defense of Archbishop Joh, deposed head of the Russian Orthodox Church here.

The Archbishop has been recalled by Metropolitan Anastasi of New York, head of the church in North America, because of charges made by 11 San Francisco church members.

These charges, printed in the April 30 issue of the newspaper, "Russia Life," touched off a revolt among the city's Russian colony.

One of the charges, made to the church's 19 bishops throughout the world, alleged the frail, bearded 64 year-old Archbishop displayed Red leanings in Shanghai where he served from 1934 to 1949.

"We would be in Russia today, or starving to death in China, if it wasn't for Archbishop John," said Boris Massenkoff, a bank employee and student at San Francisco State College.

Massenkoff is one of 43 former orphans now in the Bay Area Archbishop John brought to America with the consent of the U.S. government.

They were among 3500 White Russians and other displaced people the Archbishop was able to bring here in 1950-51.

Massenkoff, spokesman for the orphan-group, said a letter would be sent to each of the 19 bishops."

"We will ask them to judge the people who made the charges, a judgement based on the law of the Church."

"There is no question there were a bunch of lies made."

"We know it's just not true. We are the living proof the Archbishop took care of us and many thousands of others in Shanghai."

One of the charges against the Archbishop was that he issued a statement in 1945 recognizing the authority of Patriarch Alexis, the Church's Moscow patriarch, and ordering clergymen under him to do likewise.

"There was no recognition of Alexis by the Archbishop," said Massenkoff.

"All he did was mention his name in a special prayer."

Massenkoff said Archbishop John has been told he will be sent back to France, to his old post as Archbishop of Western Europe.

The Archbishop still has the right of appeal from the decision of the bishops, but has indicated he will abide by it.




San Francisco Sunday Chronicle, May 12, 1963 (p. 2):

Orthodox Dispute

Mass Appeal for Archbishop John


Restoration of Archbishop John as leader of the exile Russian Orthodox Church was demanded here yesterday.

Some 700 White Russian church laymen from San Francisco, Monterey, Seattle and Portland assembled in what they term an "extraordinary meeting" to draft an appeal to the bishops of their denomination.

Archbishop John was named head of San Francisco and Western American Diocese, but then recalled by the Holy Synod in New York after the church Council of Bishops refused to confirm him in the position.

DISPUTE

A factional dispute over the archbishop's position here also involves the suspended construction of the new Holy Virgin Cathedral at 26th avenue and Geary boulevard.

Persons at the meeting yesterday, held at the Russian Center, 2450 Sutter street, voted support of both archbishop and cathedral.

They asked that the archbishop be confirmed before May 31 so that work on the cathedral can be resumed before that time, the date on which the building permit will expire.

'SLANDER'

Spokesmen for the backers of Archbishop John said his confirmation may have been withheld because of a "slanderous" letter circulated to bishops of the church.

They said the letter falsely accused him of favoring ties with the Russian Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union.

The Holy Synod of the exile Russian Orthodox Church in New York has refused ties with Moscow, although many overtures have been made for reconciliation by Soviet church leaders.



San Francisco Chronicle, June 10, 1963 (p.4):

A Hymn and an Election.

Factional Vote at S.F. Russian Church


By Robert Graham


Embattled factions of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Virgin joined their voices in a rich, polyphonic hymn here yesterday afternoon.

It was their only harmony of the day.

The hymn preceded an election of lay church officials an election that will not end the difference between the parishioners.

CORPORATION

That will be left up to the courts.

At the core of the dispute is the delayed construction of the Holy Virgin Cathedral at 26th avenue and Geary boulevard. The project is being undertaken by a church corporation, Holy Virgin Community, Inc.

Also involved are litigation over thousands of dollars of church funds and, in a side issue, the status of Archbishop John among the faithful.

Eugene Hcrapof, the former warden of the church council, was overwhelmingly reselected to that post in yesterday's voting.

VOTE By a vote of 391 to 5, he defeated Alexander G. Girillovitch, the incumbent warden who previously had defeated Hcrapof.

Also elected were a new 12-member church council: two council alternates and a committee to review church finances.

Here is the background of the dispute, as provided by spokesmen of both factions:

With the backing of Archbishop John, Holy Virgin Community, Inc. was formed in 1954 to build a new cathedral. Approximately $350,000 was raised.

Hcrapof was church warden Allrine this Period.

PROTEST

Girillovitch replaced him as me' warden in June, 1962, in a protested the election.

Yesterday Hcrapof was reelected in another protested vote.

In both cases, the losing side said the election had been illegal.

The Hcrapof faction is satisfied with the progress on the new cathedral and the handling of the funds.

SUIT

The Girillovitch faction is out, and has filed a law suit demanding an outside audit of the church's books.

Paralleling this argument was the change in status of Archbishop John.

He was recalled by his superiors in April. Subsequently that recall was rescinded.

Members of the Hcrapof faction hailed yesterday's election both as an impetus to the construction of the cathedral and as a vote of confidence in Archbishop John.

ELECTION

The nominations and election were held at the Presidio Junior High School. Approximately 400 of the 900 persons eligible to vote attended.

Girillovitch supporters said members of their faction boycotted the election.

APPLAUSE

When Hcrapof announced he would accept the nomination for church council warden, almost all of the parishioners present burst into long applause.

Speaking in Russian, Hcrapof at first refused the nomination "because I am accused of taking money and it would not be proper until the court case is decided."

However, he added, "If the corporation wants me, I will be a candidate."

Girillovitch and a handful of his followers walked out of the nominars tions meeting after his motion to discuss the election was overruled.

In a gesture toward church unity, Archbishop John himself then entered the names of Girillovitch's present council on the nominating rolls.

The archbishop had just finished reading an edict from the Bishop's Council in New York, which :ion sanctioned the election.

The Girillovitch faction was the against new elections, claiming they deaf. were conducted by "outsiders."



San Francisco Chronicle, Tuesday, July 9, 1963:

Russian Orthodox Dispute

Church's Court Battle An International Incident


The "family controversy" that has split the tiny parish of St. Virgin's Russian Orthodox Church of San Francisco has blown up into an international incident.

The dispute, which threatens the outcome of the church's new cathedral at 26th avenue and Geary boulevard, was back in court yesterday and an array of high churchmen from four countries attended.

SPECTATORS

Occupying special seats in the front row of Superior Judge Edward F. O'Day's courtroom were:

Archbishop John, head of the church's Western American diocese; Bishop Sawa of Canada; Archbishop Leonty of Chile; Bishop Seraphim of Venezuela; Bishop Nektary of Seattle; the Rev. Nicholas Dombrovsky and the Rev. Leonid Youpshinsky, both of San Francisco; and Archpriest George Grabbe, head of the chancellery of the Synod of Bishops in New York.

DIVISION

Archbishop John is the central figure in the dispute which has divided 900 parishioners of St. Virgin's into two camps.

One feels that the church has gone too deep in debt on the new cathedral's construction and that the project, now partly completed, should be abandoned. The other faction want to go ahead.

The present court dispute is over the validity of a church election held last June 9 in which a council favorable to Archbishop John was elected. He believes the building program should go on. The defeated council claims Archbishop John removed the church registry, thus preventing a check of eligible voters. {ED: This is not true. As Archbishop John writes in his report, the plaintiffs had previously kept the church registry to themselves; but when Archbishop John came he kept it in the candlebox for the convenience of the parishioners. Later, when Archbishop John needed to use it in order to prepare the lists for the upcoming election, the secretary of the Parish Council (of the "Girillovitch faction") came and examined it and took all the information he needed.}


Photograph printed in the San Francisco Examiner, July 9, 1963 Archbishop John in Court, surrounded by his friends. Left to right: Bishop Savva,
Archbishop John, Archbishop Leonty, Bishop Nektary, Fr. Nicholas Dombrovsky, and Fr. Leonid Upshinsky.

The only witness to take the stand yesterday was Leo N. Kukuranov, a member of the ousted council, who testified that Archbishop John had removed the church records to his home. He claimed that Archbishop John went over the heads of the council's election committee in setting the election.

The hearing before Judge O'Day is expected to last a week.

Archbishop John and the newly elected council are represented by attorneys James O'Gara, Jr. and John C. Houlihan, Mayor of Oakland. Attorney Joseph Dignan represents the "out" group, which also seeks a restraining order to prevent the new council from governing the affairs of the church.

San Francisco Chronicle, Saturday, July 27, 1963 (p. 3):

The Court Bows Out of Church Fight


Superior Judge Edward F. O'Day declined yesterday to involve the court in the ecclesiastic matters of St. Virgin's Russian Orthodox Church of San Francisco.

He ruled the court had no jurisdiction to determine the legality of a church election held June 9.

PARISH PROBLEM

"This, the parishioners will have to work out among themselves," O'Day said. "And I'm sure they will, once their financial matters are straightened out."

The ruling denied an application by a segment of the dissident community to restrain the newly elected church council from taking office.

The some 900 parishioners, have been split over financing the new cathedral at 26th avenue and Geary boulevard.

CONFUSION

The applicants for the restraining order argued that Archbishop John had removed the church registry, and an election committee was unable to determine those parishioners eligible to vote.

Judge O'Day, however, did bar the new council from entering into any agreements concerning the church's property until the financial situation is cleared up.

Gerald P. Haggerty, Federal Grand Jury Commissioner, previously was appointed receiver of the church's records and Price Waterhouse & Co. is conducting an audit.'

{ED:This professional audit reported that there was absolutely no evidence of financial wrongdoing on the part of Archbishop John and the new Parish Council. As mentioned above, however, the plaintiffs continued to invent new charges against them. (See Not of This World, pp. 226-227.)}
San Francisco Chronicle, Wednesday, August 21, 1963 (p.3):

Archbishop John Welcomed Home


by Warren Hinckle


A prayerful contingent from San Francisco's Russian colony made what amounted to a pilgrimage to San Francisco International Airport last night.

They came to hail the triumphant return of Archbishop John the frail, scraggly-bearded man who many in the Russian Orthodox Church think is a living saint.

STAFF

The venerated prelate carried the shepherd's staff that is symbolic of the power of the ruling Bishop.

He regained that power after being suspended as the ruling western bishop during a bitter row that split the Russian community here for months—at a meeting of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church-in- Exile last week in New York.

Hundreds of Russians crowded into Concourse D at the airport and broke into a tearful hymn of rejoicing as Archbishop John's plane from New York landed.

"He does not sleep at night he visits the sick and the distraught and cures them both," said an elderly woman in a heavy tan coat. "He is a saint."

Gregory Bologoff, head of the San Francisco Russian Center, handed a round loaf of Russian bread and a thimble of salt to the priest.

The bread was symbolic of the gifts of God to men and the salt of the trials he must face on earth, Bologoffsaid. And there appear to be new trials ahead for Archbishop John.

Church members in opposition referred to Archbishop John as an "impractical" man.

"We are not reconciled to his reappointment by the Synod," said Leo N. Kukuranow, a leader of dissident parishioners of the Russian Or- thodox Holy Virgin Church here.

DECISION

Kukuranow labeled "unlawful" the frail Archbishop's decision to resume building of the partially completed Holy Virgin Cathedral at 26th avenue and Geary. Construction was halted last year when the parish split over church financing.

Archbishop John's followers said construction would resume "immediately—maybe on Monday."

Part 1: Introduction to the Trial

Part 3: Archbishop John's Report on the Trial