Metropolitan of All America and Canada Herman arrives in Moscow

His Beatitude Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada Herman arrives in Moscow Monday.

"This is the first official visit of the new Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church in America whose enthronement took place on September 8th, 2002," the Foreign Church Relations Department of the Moscow Patriarchate told RIA Novosti.

Metropolitan Herman was born in Pennsylvania in 1932. In 1963, he graduated from the Saint Tikhon Seminary, South Canaan, PA. On December 4, 1970, he was tonsured to monastic rank and given the name Herman, in honour of Saint Herman of Alaska.

He was consecrated to the episcopacy in 1973 with the title of Bishop of Wilkes-Barre, serving as an auxiliary of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania. He was elected Bishop of Philadelphia in 1981 and elevated to the rank of Archbishop in 1994.

He served as temporary administrator of the Orthodox Church in America from May until September 2001, during Metropolitan Theodosius' medical leave of absence.

Herman was elected Metropolitan of All America and Canada at the 13th All-American Orthodox Council held in Orlando in July, 2002.