142 ANDREW J. SHIPMAN MEMORIAL 



cow. Shortly afterwards an assembly of South Russian bish- 

 ops was held at Novogrodek, and, determined to become inde- 

 pendent of Moscow, sent to the Patriarch of Constantinople 

 for a local metropolitan to rule over them. In 1416 Gregory I 

 was made "Metropolitan of Kieff and Lithuania," independ- 

 ently of Photius who ruled at Moscow. But at the death of 

 Gregory no successor was appointed for his see. Gerasim 

 (1431-5) was the successor of Photius at Moscow, and had 

 correspondence with Pope Eugene IV as to the reunion of 

 the Eastern and Western Churches. The next Metropolitan 

 of Moscow was the famous Greek monk, Isidore, consecrated 

 under the title of "Metropolitan of Kieff and Moscow." When 

 the Council of Florence for the reunion of the East and West 

 was held, he left Moscow in company with Bishop Abraham 

 of Suzdal and a large company of Russian prelates and the- 

 ologians, attended the council, and signed the act of union in 

 1439. Returning to Russia, he arrived at Moscow in the 

 spring of 1441, and celebrated a grand pontifical liturgy at 

 the Cathedral of the Assumption in the Kremlin in the pres- 

 ence of Grand Duke Vasili II and the Russian clergy and 

 nobility. At its close his chief deacon read aloud the decree 

 of the union of the churches. None of the Russian bishops 

 or clergy raised their voices in opposition, but the grand duke 

 loudly upbraided Isidore for turning the Russian people over 

 to the Latins, and shortly afterwards the Russian bishops 

 assembled at Moscow followed their royal master's command 

 and condemned the union and the action of Isidore. He was 

 imprisoned, but eventually escaped to Lithuania and Kieff, 

 and after many adventures reached Rome. 



From this time the two portions of Russia were entirely 

 distinct, the prelates of Moscow bearing the title "Metropoli- 

 tan of Moscow and all Russia" and those of Kieff, "Metro- 

 politan of Kieff, Halich, and all Russia." This division and 

 both titles were sanctioned by Pope Pius II. But Kieff con- 

 tinued Catholic and in communion with the Holy See for 

 nearly a century, while Moscow rejected the union and re- 

 mained in schism. After Isidore the Muscovites would have 

 no more metropolitans sent to them from Constantinople, and 

 the grand duke thereupon selected the metropolitan. Every 

 effort was then made to have the metropolitans of Moscow 

 independent of the Patriarch of Constantinople^ After the 



