(Part 1)

by Priest Stefan Lyashevsky

In the history of Russian Orthodox mission, Archpriest Joseph Vassiliev occupies an outstanding place. This was truly a man of apostolic zeal and energy, who could have accomplished a great deal had he lived a hundred years later.  In his time, i.e., in the second half of the nineteenth century, one couldn’t do anything in France; the time simply wasn’t ripe. He stands alone as a bright lamp of the past, as a model missionary in the West, in the full enchantment of his luminous personality, and the church he built in Paris on the rue Daru is a  worthy memorial to this great missionary.

A wonderful monograph was written about him and published after his death. This is a comprehensive volume dedicated to his missionary work in France, his correspondence with the Holy Synod and the Eastern Patriarchs, and to his no less brilliant disciple, Fr. Vladimir Guettée, a renowned church historian and former Roman Catholic abbot. The work of Fr. Vladimir is unsurpassed in its talent, scholarship, and authentic historical method of writing the history of the Church according to primary documents of each epoch. The multi-volume work he envisioned on the history of the Church, with a certain emphasis on polemics with Catholicism, came to four thick volumes, which went up only to the sixth century; the work was cut short by his death in the prime of his productivity.

These were two talented representatives of Orthodoxy in the West, whose labors were highly esteemed by Metropolitan Philaret and the Eastern Patriarchs, with whom they were in correspondence.

Fr. Joseph Vassiliev purposed to win over the West on the basis of ideology, or at least to prepare the ground for this.  On the strength of his arguments the brilliant Catholic, Abbot Guettée, came to Orthodoxy, and together they began to acquaint Catholic France with Orthodoxy.  But this was evidently beyond anyone’s strength-to convince Catholic theologians, who stood fast not on the strength of argument but on the strength of an iron discipline, while there was at yet no Russian emigration in France and no one to give support.

But something else came of it.  Thanks to Fr. Joseph’s literary theological works and his missionary activity, the Anglican Church became interested in him and invited him to visit London.  This was the first meeting of Anglican bishops with an Orthodox priest.  The meeting was described in moving detail. The reception took place at the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lambeth Palace.  The entire episcopacy, headed by the archbishop, with numerous clergy, all fully vested, stood in the room when Archpriest Joseph Vassiliev entered.  Such a reception shown to an Orthodox priest by anglican hierarchs presaged that enormous interest which subsequently Anglicans always evidenced in regard to Orthodoxy.

The Historical Method:
Fr. Vladimir Guettée

In becoming an Orthodox priest, Fr. Vladimir Guettée fell into a difficult situation.  He had left a high position in the Catholic Church. As a sincere, learned theologian, the truth of Orthodoxy and the error of Catholicism became irrefutably clear.  Sadly, however, there was no French Orthodox flock, and to establish one under the conditions of that time was all but impossible.

He took upon himself not only the inner look of an Orthodox priest; he also wanted to have the outward appearance of one: he let his hair and beard grow and always wore a cassock.  But he had no flock.

And so he thought of presenting Orthodoxy to the West by means of a historical method.  He decided to follow the entire historical path of the Church from the time of the Apostles to the present day, and to demonstrate that the Catholic principle of the power of the Pope over the whole Church has neither dogmatic, nor canonical, nor patristic nor historical basis. He established his multi-volume work on a framework of authentic documents belonging to the various epochs.  For example, the fourth century, one of the more extensive volumes, is presented to the reader through the correspondence of St. Athansius, St. Hilaire of Poitiers, Hosea of Cordoba, the acts of the Councils, and various historical documents of the time. Furthermore, it was compiled so effectively, so eloquently, and was so fascinating-as though the fourth century were not the distant past but very much alive and contemporary.

There is no comparable work in the entire store of church history.  Passing through his work like a red thread is the fact that within the Church authority always lay with the Councils, and that ancient church history reveals not a trace of what we know as Roman Catholicism.  What would have been had Fr. Vladimir not died prematurely and been able to complete his History of the Church, up to our time?  The infallible throne of the Roman pontiffs would have been shaken in the eyes of all impartial researchers of church history.

It would have been difficult for the Jesuit fathers. Against them was directed the sharp sword of a former Catholic scholar-theologian and abbot. The great historian died prematurely, but with his labor he entrusted future generations with the task of completing his unfinished work.  Then the truth of Orthodoxy will shine forth upon the whole world before the astonished eyes of the West.

Church history has yet to reveal the tremendous significance in the history of Orthodoxy in the West of this outstanding Orthodox missionary.

NEXT (Part 2): The Apostolic Exploit of St. Nicholas of Japan and Hieromartyr Gorazd of Czechoslovakia.

From “A History of Russian Missionary Activity in the West: Diverse forms of Orthodox missionary work” in Tserkovnaya Zhizn, January-April 1993; pp. 45-64.