OUR
CLERGY
Metropolitan Raffaele - Archbishop of Australia,
New Zealand, Laus Pompeia
and Exarch of the British Isles
His Eminence Metropolitan Raffaele who is a liturgical musician, and Iconographer, holds a Doctorate of Theology via the Theological School of St. Julius in Milan. He is a member of the board of lecturers and offers his expertise in the arts of homiletics, pastoral counselling, liturgics, and spirituality.
The Metropolitan began his journey towards the Ancient Faith in 2003AD where he was at a crossroads within his Roman heritage, when the Byzantine past was unearthed via Sacred Patrology of the early Greek Fathers of the Church.
Therefore, after a period of solid catechesis which aided detox from misconceptions taught in the West, the newly illumined was fully immersed into the sacraments of Holy Orthodoxy via the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCOR) receiving the monastic tonsure on the 1st of December 2008AD according to the traditions of the Byzantine East.
In those formative years dedicated to study and service, the young Hieromonk Raffaele was then ordained to the Diaconate on the 10th of January in 2011AD by the reposed Metropolitan of blessed memory Hilarion Kapral – assigning him to the Church of the All Holy Trinity in Collingwood which was a thriving parish for Western Christians.
This appointment was short lived when the Hierodeacon was re-assigned in 2012AD to a conservative parish in the south eastern suburbs. That particular community was not so embracive of Western Christians however polite. It is in this timeframe that the Hierodeacon is asked by spokespersons from various Greek families to serve them in the northeast.
Hence, in 2013AD Hierodeacon Raffaele accepted the invitation to serve various families within the Greek and Macedonian communities who resisted certain ecclesial and calendar changes. Therefore, he was ordained to the priesthood on the 6th of October within that year by Metropolitan Photios of Marathon who was a monk from the Monastery of Esphigmenou.
The newly ordained Hieropresbyter was assigned to serve in the CBD which was a great outreach to the community despite contrary forces within. On the 29th of May in 2016AD Father Raffaele was then assigned to a conservative parish and elevated to the rank of Archimandrite by Metropolitan Euthymius of Thessalonica for service to a much fragmented community.
On the 3rd of September 2017AD Archimandrite Raffaele (previously elected to the Office of Apostles) was consecrated to the episcopacy in Rome by the Procurator of the Autonomous Orthodox Church of Western Europe and Canada: Metropolitan Basilio Grillo Micheli – assisted by co-consecrator Archbishop Theophilactus of Romania. Thus, on 25th of March in 2021AD Archbishop Raffaele was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan.
After the repose of Metropolitan Basilio of Blessed Memory on the 19th of December 2021AD Metropolitan Raffaele and Metropolitan Volodymir of St. Julius strengthened ties; restoring the Church to her rightful place by cultivating the fruits of the harvest via separating the wheat from the chaff.
Metropolitan Raffaele serves as Vice President of the Holy Synod, Vicar General, Archbishop of Laus Pompeia, Melbourne, New Zealand, and is Exarch of the British Isles residing in Australia.
Synodal Certification
- Ordained a Sub Deacon on the 29th May 2016 AD @ St Paul's East Hawthorn by Metropolitan Ethymius of Thessalonica.
- Ordained to the rank of Deacon on the 9th September 2017 AD @ The Exarchate Chapel of St. Basil by Metropolitan Archbishop Raffaele msb - Exarch of Australia.
- Ordained to the Priesthood on the 10th September 2017 AD @ The Exarchate Chapel of St. Basil by Metropolitan Archbishop Raffaele msb - Exarch of Australia.
- Elevated to the rank of Arch-Priest and Dean of Presbyters on the Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross on 27th September 2017 AD @ The Exarchate Chapel of St. Basil by Metropolitan Archbishop Raffaele msb - Exach of Australia.
- Elevated to the rank of Mitred-Arch-Priest at the Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross on 27th September 2018 AD @ The Exarchate Chapel of St. Eletherius of Ilyria by Metropolitan Archbishop Raffaele msb - Exach of Australia.
- Elected to the episcopacy on the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos on 28th August 2021 AD @ The Exarchate Chapel of St. Basil the Great via Metropolitan Archbishop Raffaele msb - Exach of Australia.
Bishop Elect Mark - Dean of Presbyters
- Ordained a Sub-Deacon on the 6th September 2017 AD @ The Exarchate Chapel of St. Basil by Metropolitan Archbishop Raffaele msb - Exarch of Australia.
- Ordained to the rank of Deacon on the 9th September 2017 AD @ The Exarchate Chapel of St. Basil by Metropolitan Archbishop Raffaele msb - Exarch of Australia.
- Elevated to the rank of Arch-Deacon and Dean of Deacons on the Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross on 27th September 2017 AD @ The Exarchate Chapel of St. Basil by Metropolitan Archbishop Raffaele msb - Exach of Australia.
- Ordained to the Priesthood and Elevated to the rank of Arch-Priest on the Fore-Feast of the Holy Apostles on 10th July 2021 AD @ The Good Shepherd Chapel, Abbotsford by Metropolitan Archbishop Raffaele msb - Exach of Australia.
Arch-Presbyter Matthew - Dean of Deacons
- Ordained a Sub-Deacon on the 6th August 2022 AD @ The Chapel of the Good Shepherd by Metropolitan Archbishop Raffaele msb.
- Ordained to the rank of Deacon on the 6th August 2022 AD @ The Chapel of the Good Shepherd by Metropolitan Archbishop Raffaele msb.
- Elevated to the rank of Archdeacon on the 7th August 2022 AD @ The Chapel of St Eleutherius of Illyria by Metropolitan Archbishop Raffaele msb.
- Ordained to the rank of Presbyter on the 4th May 2024 AD @ The Chapel of the Good Shepherd by Metropolitan Archbishop Raffaele msb.
- Elevated to the rank of Arch-Priest on 6th May 2024 AD @ The Exarchal Chapel of St. Mark of Ephisus and St Herman of Alaska by Metropolitan Archbishop Raffale msb.
