# Gabriel Chemodakov > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gabriel_Chemodakov > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gabriel_Chemodakov.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Chemodakov > Source revision: 1340335746 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Archbishop Gabriel** (Russian: Архиепископ Гавриил, [secular name](/source/Secular_name) **George Lvovich Chemodakov**, Russian: Георгий Львович Чемодаков) was born on June 2, 1961 in [Sydney, Australia](/source/Sydney). He is a [bishop](/source/Bishop) in the [Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia](/source/Russian_Orthodox_Church_Outside_Russia), with the title of [Archbishop](/source/Archbishop) of [Montreal](/source/Montreal) and [Canada](/source/Canada). ## Biography In his childhood, George was greatly influenced by the Saintly Parish Protopresbyter [Rostislav Gan](/source/Rostislav_Gan). While George was still young, Fr. Rostislav passed away. However, upon the return of his older brother Nikita (now a priest in the [Diocese of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand](/source/Diocese_of_Sydney,_Australia_and_New_Zealand)), he continued to receive gentle encouragement to attend [Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary](/source/Holy_Trinity_Orthodox_Seminary) in [Jordanville, New York](/source/Jordanville,_New_York).[1] In 1980 he entered Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, from which he graduated in 1984 and where he remained as an instructor of Russian culture and other subjects through 1989. In 1989 he was appointed [cell attendant](/source/Subdeacon) to Metropolitan [Vitaly (Ustinov)](/source/Vitaly_(Ustinov)) and then to Bishop [Hilarion (Kapral)](/source/Hilarion_(Kapral)) of Manhattan, then vicar of Eastern American diocese. He continued in this obedience until 1996. In January 1996 at the meeting of the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR, Metropolitan Vitaly raised the issue of appointing a permanent prelate to govern the ROCOR Diocese of Australia and New Zealand. Metropolitan Vitaly recommended that Bishop Hilarion (Kapral) of Washington, be sent to Australia and that George Chemodakov, an unmarried lay worker at the Synod and a graduated seminarian, be tonsured to the monastic state and consecrated auxiliary bishop of Brisbane.[2] George always wanted to become a priest and never succeeded at founding a family, therefore he accepted this new path. In March 1996, George Chemodakov was [tonsured](/source/Tonsure) a monk with name Gabriel, in honour of his great-grandfather Gavriil Luchinin, a priest from [Vyatka](/source/Kirov,_Kirov_Oblast).[1] On the Fifth Sunday of [Great Lent](/source/Great_Lent) of 1996, he was ordained to the rank of [hierodeacon](/source/Hierodeacon) by Archbishop [Laurus (Škurla)](/source/Laurus_%C5%A0kurla) of Syracuse. In the same year, on the feast of the [Palm Sunday](/source/Triumphal_entry_into_Jerusalem), he was ordained [hieromonk](/source/Hieromonk) by Metropolitan [Vitaly (Ustinov)](/source/Vitaly_(Ustinov)). On 7 July 1996, at the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, he was consecrated bishop of [Brisbane](/source/Brisbane), vicar of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese. The consecration was performed by Metropolitan Vitaly (Ustinov), Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev) of San Francisco and Western America, Archbishop Laurus (Škurla) of Syracuse, Bishop Hilarion (Kapral) of Manhattan,[1] Archbishop Chrysostomos of Etna and Bishop Auxentios of Photiki of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece (Old Calendar Synod in Resistance).[3] On October 6, of same year, he was appointed vicar of Eastern American Diocese with the title of Bishop of [Manhattan](/source/Manhattan) and Deputy Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR.[4] In October 2001, he was appointed Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR. In January 2005, he was appointed as a member of the Commission for the Conducting of the Fourth All-Diaspora Council. On May 13 2008, Bishop Gabriel was appointed Bishop of Montreal and Canada by Decree of the Council of Bishops of ROCOR.[5] Obtaining this title, Bishop Gabriel also became rector of Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Montreal and Honorary Director of Alexander Pushkin parish school in Montreal.[\[1\]](https://www.stnicholasmontreal.com/welcometoourparish)[\[2\]](https://sites.google.com/a/pushkinschool.org/www/о-нашей-школе?authuser=0) In May 2011, at the wish of the First Hierarch, Metropolitan Hilarion, Bishop Gabriel was elevated to the rank of [archbishop](/source/Archbishop).[6] During a regular meeting in June 2016, the Synod of Bishops of the ROCOR appointed Archbishop Gabriel as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary, representing the Synod of Bishops on the Board.[7] When the Covid-19 pandemic started, although still retaining the title Archbishop of Montreal and Canada, Archbishop Gabriel did not enter Canada or visit his diocese from the moment pandemic border restrictions were applied by Canadian authorities (from February 2020 to November 2022). He spent most of his time in the United States during that time. ## Views on the 2022 invasion of Ukraine Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, Archbishop George disseminated an appeal through his clergy. The appeal justified the invasion of Ukraine on the basis of claims of genocide against ethnic Russians in the Donbas by "Kievan Fascists".[8] The appeal was deleted from the Diocesan website following backlash from the Quebec media.[9] ## References 1. Woerl, Michael (June 2002). ["Biography of His Grace Bishop Gabriel (George Chemodakov), Bishop of the Diocese of Manhattan, Vicor Bishop of the Diocese of Eastern America"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150516064225/http://www.st-sergius.org/Bio/Bish_Gabriel_Bio.html). st-sergius.org. Archived from [the original](http://www.st-sergius.org/Bio/Bish_Gabriel_Bio.html) on 16 May 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2016. 1. Protopopov, Michael Alex (2005-01-31). [*The Russian Orthodox presence in Australia: the history of a church told from recently opened archives and previously unpublished sources*](http://researchbank.acu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1114&context=theses). Australian Catholic University Research Services. pp. 341–342. 1. [https://www.rocorstudies.org/2020/02/17/history-of-the-russian-orthodox-church-outside-russia-from-its-beginning-to-the-present-part-vi/](https://www.rocorstudies.org/2020/02/17/history-of-the-russian-orthodox-church-outside-russia-from-its-beginning-to-the-present-part-vi/) 1. Protopopov, Michael Alex (2005). *THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA: The History of a Church told from recently opened archiv es and previously unpublished sources*. p. 342. 1. ["The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia - Official Website"](http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2008/5enmhukaz.html) 1. ["The Council of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad Comes to a Close"](http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2011/20110517_ensoborconclusion.html). NEW YORK: synod.com. May 17, 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2016. 1. ["Synod of Bishops appoints Archbishop Gabriel to HTOS board of Trustees"](http://www.hts.edu/news_160710_1.html). Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary. Retrieved 13 November 2016. 1. ["Telegram: Contact @the_morning_offering"](https://archive.today/20220409160108/https://t.me/the_morning_offering/805). Archived from [the original](https://t.me/the_morning_offering/805) on 2022-04-09. 1. ["Un leader orthodoxe russe basé au Québec justifie la guerre en Ukraine"](https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2022/03/09/un-leader-orthodoxe-justifie-la-guerre) ## Sources - [Bishop Gabriel (Chemodakov), ROCOR(L): "For most of our flock, it is unclear why we suddenly have a different position toward the Moscow Patriarchate."](http://www.portal-credo.ru/site/?act=english&id=158) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gabriel Chemodakov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Chemodakov) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Chemodakov?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.