1927 Declaration of Metropolitan Sergius

90 years ago, on July 29, 1927, the Deputy Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) issued a declaration of loyalty to the Soviet regime. It said:

"Now, when we are almost at the very goal of our aspirations, the actions of foreign enemies do not stop: murders, arson, raids, explosions and similar phenomena of the underground struggle before our eyes. All this disrupts the peaceful course of life, creating an atmosphere of mutual distrust and all sorts of suspicion.

It is all the more necessary for our Church and the more obligatory for all of us who cherish Her interests, who wish to lead Her onto the path of a legal and peaceful existence, the more obligatory is it for us now to show that we, church leaders, are not with the enemies of our Soviet state and not with insane tools of their intrigues, but with our people and with our government."